Two girls from Lacombe Junior High School have the chance to head to Ottawa next month, as part of the Imagine a Canada contest.

The contest was organized by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and is a national art and essay competition that asked young people to share their thoughts on what the future of Canada will look like through the lens of reconciliation with the aboriginal community.

The NCTR was created to preserve the memory of Canada’s residential school system and legacy, for now and forever.

Megan Lofstrand is one of the winners. She submitted the drawing of the Celtic knot at centre of the title picture, with the surrounding photos being that of other students from ELJHS who received honorable mentions.

She talks about what the symbol means to her.

"It shows two cultures joining together to make like, one happy country. I used the colours red and blue, because they signify love and happiness, and strength and unity. And we have to realize that, there's got to be steps to get to reconciliation, because it's not just going to all of a sudden be sunshine and rainbows, there's going to be a process to take to get to reconciliation."

Brooklyn Thompson was the other winner, who wrote a poem as her submission, which you can read below.

Thompson talks about what her poem represents.

"My poem was called 'Years from Now', and it represents the process that will need to be taken to reach truth and reconciliation. So it uses words like unity, and understanding, so it shows the qualities we will need, for us to get there."

Out of the 22 entries submitted into the contest by students at ELJHS, these two were winners for Alberta, along with 14 others from their class receiving honorable mentions.

The girl’s submissions, along with the 14 honorable mentions, will be on display at the Public Library in Edmonton, nest to the others winners from Alberta.

Each province has ten winners, and one out of every ten will be selected to go down to Ottawa in June for an honoring ceremony with the Governor General.