Star-Phoenix from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada • 22

B6 LOCAL The StarPhoehix Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Friday, May 20, 2005 V-WMl f- I -1 ft iV Ti 1 H'iiiii mf SP Photo by Peter Wilson mll Bi t.ftMiu, ajg, a-. mlita itf IM1liBMlMrMM ill Hi i walkabout after touring the Canadian Light Source synchrotron Thursday TI 0 ueem arrival excites crowd a "I never thought that she would come over," she said. The Queen then turned and crossed the road, "and I couldn't believe it. I was like, oh my good icr By Darren Bernhardt ofTheStarPhoenix A brush with royalty, even for three seconds, was too much for Amanda Shea, who broke into loud sobs moments after Queen Elizabeth II accepted flowers from the Saskatoon woman on Thursday. "That was amazing," Shea said as her hands still shook from the overwhelming thrill.

"I've been to England twice and it's everyone's dream to meet the Queen every little girl's dream. And I got to meet her." Rob Brown got even closer and had his white gloves bleached just for the occasion. The Saskatoon police constable was given the honour of opening the door of Her Majesty's wine-coloured Lincoln. "We've been rehearsing it for about a week," he smiled. As the Queen's 15-car motorcade pulled up to the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron at the University of Saskatchewan campus, the Saskatoon Concert Band struck up Handel's Royal Fireworks Suite.

Minutes earlier, they had many in the crowd of hundreds dancing under the hot sun to the theme from the musical, Oklahoma. Even of president Peter MacKinnon couldn't help tapping his shoes. Without an umbrella for the first time in two days, the Queen emerged from her car wearing a royal blue suit and similarly coloured woven sun hat. She greeted MacKinnon and his family, members of Saskatoon city council and other dignitaries on her way into the CLS for a tour. Shea's meltdown caught the attention of media cameras, including those from England's BBC.

It ness, she coming, said Shea. After the Queen took the rose and said thank you, Shea braced herself against the fence and wailed. "I just fell apart. I guess I'm kind of a royal fan so it's very exciting. I've waited a long time," she said.

"It was just great to see her," said Kishore Pan-chal, who handed the Queen a photograph of Prince Charles from the last time he was in Saskatoon at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. He asked her to pass it on "as wedding gift" for the prince's second marriage. "She said, 'Sure, great, I'll pass it said Pan-chal, who worked for the Royal Army Medical College in England before moving to Canada 15 years ago. "She had a sweet voice," Emarie Racine Hallin, 6, said about the Queen, who accepted flowers from the Saskatoon girl. Though her knowledge of the Queen was minimal, Racine Hallin was certain why the crowd was gathered: "Because it was Saskatchewan's birthday." Rebecca Ward, 13, Alischa Paproski, 14, and James Kirkpatrick, 14, draped a Canada flag across the barrier near the Queen's arrival point, hoping to get her attention but just as happy to see her.

"She's the Queen," said Paproski. "We don't get many things like this in Saskatoon." The turnout was larger than most in England "because we have her all the time," said Peter Archer, who has covered the Queen for 10 years with The Press Association in London. SP Photo by Jeff Lyons The Duke of Edinburgh discusses the research of Jeff Cutler, associate director of research, at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron took place just after the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh left the CLS facility and commenced the walkabout to her motorcade. The crowd, many of whom had set up along a metal barrier two hours earlier, applauded, took photos and offered bouquets of all sorts. The Queen made every effort to receive all of the gifts, handing them to her ladies-in-waiting as her arms filled.

She was also presented with a framed gift from CLS technologist Mark Besse and the key to the city from Mayor Don Atchison, who jokingly told The StarPhoenix beforehand that the key "opens the city vault every February 30th." The Queen made her way along the crowd of well-wishers on the opposite side of the road from where Shea stood holding out a single rose. jorkdale students enjoy brush with royalty i .1 Vj' waited for the Queen to arrive. The synchrotron's education outreach co-ordinator gave them some last-minute instructions. "Don't speak unless you're first spoken to," Tracy Walker reminded them. "Don't put your hand out to her unless she puts her hand out to you.

Let her move first." As the Queen's motorcade approached the synchrotron building, the students squealed with delight and laughed nervously. 'Take a deep breath," suggested Keenan Snider to fellow student Olivia Hart. Their excitement mounted as the Queen entered the floor where the 19 students, their chaperones and representatives from the community were waiting. Murmurs of 'That's her!" and "She's in the blue dress," travelled through the group. "Come on kids.

It's showtime!" said Brad Wearing, one of the parents and the mayor of Bjorkdale. The Queen spent about 10 minutes chatting with several students about their projects, smiling and listening intently to their explanations and asking the occasional question. Before leaving, McHugh also explained why the students designed the quilt that they brought to show the Queen. She was amazed at the length of time the Queen spent with the group. "I expected two minutes," said MrHiiPh "She Hops thk 1 SO timps a vpnr and By Lana Ilaight ofTheStarPhoenix It was the field trip of a lifetime for a group of rural Saskatchewan students.

"It's important to dream bigger than going bowling in the next town (for a year-end field trip)," said teacher Theresa McHugh. McHugh's grades 6 and 7 class from the tiny village of Bjorkdale (population 300) met Queen Elizabeth II at the Canadian Light Source Thursday afternoon. Jasmine Paik was one of two girls who presented the Queen with a bouquet of western red lilies and wheat sheaves. "I felt like jelly. I was just so nervous and it took us so much work just to know how to talk when you're talking to Her Majesty," said Paik.

"She asked us, 'Are those flowers for So I said, but I just kinda lost my words so my friend carried on for me." Several students held poster boards that dis-. played research they had done on the uses of the synchrotron housed at the University of Saskatchewan. "I think she was really interested the look in her eye and how she asked questions," said Mitchell Darmokid, who explained to the Queen that the synchrotron will benefit agriculture. But the students didn't come to see Her Majesty just to explain science. It was to experience firsthand what they're learning in social studies.

As soon as their teacher heard that a royal visit was in the works to celebrate Saskatchewan's centennial, she contacted the provincial government to request that her class be included. "You have to teach kids that anything you want, sxn SP Photo by Peter Wilson Queen Elizabeth II chats with Grade 6 student Tyson Wearing she shakes hands and talks to all kinds of people all the time. To be genuinely interested, and she was, means she's a real good person." McHugh believes the students will remember this field trip for the rest of their lives because, in her words, they know that they were part of history in the making as this trip is likely the last to Canada for the Queen and her husband, the Duke of you can do. This was a big dream. They laughed when I said, 'Let's go see the said McHugh.

"As luck would have it, we're here today seeing the Queen." During the year, the students studied Saskatchewan and Canadian history and learned about Canada's constitutional monarchy. Once they realized that their dream of meeting royalty would be reality, they set to work raising money to rent a school bus for the three-hour trip. Bjorkdale is more than 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. McHugh and her students designed a full-sized quilt with symbols of the province, their town and their school. It also bears the Queen's ilag and the royal cypher.

They raised about $700 by selling raffle tickets for the quilt. The Queen's name and that of each person who bought a "block" is printed on it. "It takes a village to raise a child. This village supported us," enthused McHugh. The students' excitement was palpable while they.