Nova Scotia

Her Grade 6 class was asked to do a project about a great Canadian. So she picked Ryan Reynolds

Dani Scott was recently given a Canadian heritage assignment. Instead of choosing the Halifax Explosion or Viola Desmond, she chose actor Ryan Reynolds.

Dani Scott considers herself a 'fangirl' who appreciates Reynolds' charitable work

A young girl with her dad. There's a school project in front of them.
Dani, with her dad, Adam Scott and her project about Ryan Reynolds. (Erin MacInnis/CBC)

When you think about Canadian heritage, your mind might go to the likes of Viola Desmond, Tim Horton or the Halifax Explosion.

But a Grade 6 student in Hubbards, N.S., has a different perspective. She thinks of movie star — and Canadian heartthrob — Ryan Reynolds. 

Danica Scott, who goes by Dani, was recently given an assignment at Chester Area Middle School to create a class presentation on Canada's heritage or the life of a Canadian who has done something great for the country. 

Unbeknownst to her parents and teachers, she chose Reynolds.

"He's very, very talkative about being Canadian and has helped a bunch of charities in the past so that's why I did Ryan Reynolds," Dani Scott told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia.

"I also did him because he's cute." 

A standing poster board that features the words Ryan Reynolds in yellow and green lettering.
Dani Scott completed this project about Ryan Reynolds for her Canadian hertiage project. It features his background, his acting career and his past relationship with Scarlett Johansson. (Erin MacInnis/CBC)

She said Reynolds stuck out to her because of his charity work, including donating $500,000 to Water First Education and Training Inc., a non-profit organization based in Creemore, Ont.

Dani spent weeks poring over her project, researching information about Reynolds' acting career without consulting anyone on the subject — other than her friends, who said it was an "amazing" idea.

Adam Scott, Dani's father, said he was surprised when he saw the completed project.

"I knew that Danica and her brother Jack were big fans of Ryan Reynolds for sure, but didn't realize the heritage project was on Ryan — not to this wonderful extent," he said. 

"It's a very colourful board. It pops. Yeah, I like it."

A Grade 6 student at Chester Area Middle School spent weeks poring over her Canadian heritage presentation. Unbeknownst to her parents and teachers, she was researching the life and times of movie star Ryan Reynolds for her school project.

Scott did have a few suggestions for her project, explaining that she could have gone into detail about Reynolds' cellphone and gin companies — both of which he recently sold — and his stake in the Wrexham Association Football Club.

Still, Scott loved the project so much that he posted a photo of it on Facebook and Instagram, in hopes Reynolds would see it. 

"I wish I had of known beforehand Mr. Reynolds but all the same, she had the 'cool kids' interested (the Grade 7s) and her teachers laughing out loud," Scott wrote in the post, tagging Reynolds.

Ryan Reynolds answers 10 questions about Canada

11 months ago
Duration 3:58
Actor Ryan Reynolds answers 10 questions from The National’s Ian Hanomansing about Canada, including his favourite restaurant and the biggest misconceptions his American friends have about his home country.

Dani plans to keep the project board, saying, "It's probably going to be one of the best creations I'll ever make."

Scott is on board with keeping it, joking that it won't be going into the fire like previous projects.

In the end, Dani got an A on her project, but she still hasn't heard from Reynolds.

So — your move, Ryan Reynolds.

With files from CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia

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