Canada: 150 years in the making
From the moment the calendar turned to 2017, Wellington Advertiser staff started thinking about a special project to commemorate the 150th anniversary of our great nation.
Motivated by publisher Dave Adsett, the vision soon started to take shape: a stand-alone feature similar in size to Confederation-era broadsheet Newspapers with both historical and contemporary content.
In true Canadian fashion, our staff selflessly set to work to ensure this feature is befitting such a momentous occasion. We hope readers will agree that we have succeeded in that endeavour.
It’s hard to sum up in such a brief space what this country and this anniversary truly mean. When I think about Canada, mostly I am filled with profound appreciation for the sacrifices of the past that have afforded Canadians the amazing opportunities we enjoy today.
From aboriginal peoples to the first European settlers, there certainly was no shortage of early struggles adapting to the land and climate.
Fast forward several hundred years and the fathers of Confederation tried mightily over several years, starting with the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, to reconcile their differences and forge a new nation.
When recalling Canadian sacrifices, at the forefront are all those who fought in conflicts such as the Seven Years War, the War of 1812, the Boer Wars, the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and all the way up to Afghanistan and many peacekeeping missions.
Personally, I can’t help but think of the sacrifices of my paternal grandparents, who relocated from Portugal to Brazil and then to Canada, with very little to their name. They struggled to learn English and likely found it hard to adapt, but they settled in, worked hard and built a new life for themselves and their family. They most certainly missed their homeland, but in the end they were proud to call themselves Canadian.
It’s a great story, but not unlike the tale millions of other Canadians could tell. From coast to coast to coast, each and every one of us has specific individuals who made sacrifices that helped us succeed.
It is our hope that as we celebrate the sesquicentennial, we can properly honour these individuals as we forge ahead and pave the way for those who will follow. I can think of no better 150th gift.
Happy Birthday, Canada.
