Ignatieff gives history lesson to Quebec students

Grade 4 school children in Compton, Que., got an unexpected lesson in civics Wednesday when Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff paid them a visit.

Ignatieff was in the Quebec town to visit an agricultural co-op. But as he was getting ready to enter the store, he spied the children in the adjacent school yard.

Clambering up a snow-covered slope, he hung over a fence and conversed with the children about the election, his position and a little about the man behind the name of their school, Louis St-Laurent primary school.

The former prime minister was born in this town in the Eastern townships. Ignatieff waved goodbye to attend his campaign event at the store.

Once that was done and he was getting ready to leave, the children were again in the school yard so he couldn’t resist a second visit.

He finally left after giving them a round of high fives.

Bruce Campion-Smith, Ottawa bureau chief