Before any long term plans for the future are made, it’s a good idea to take a look back to see what was a good idea and what could have been done better.
The early pioneers that came to any province or state came to a new place to live because they were looking for a new home where they would have a clean start, and often brought memories of things that were done wrong where they came from. Inequality between the rulers and the common people led to frustration and a decision to move on. If there had been a drought, famine, potato shortage or war, the rulers were still well fed, while the peasants starved or gave what they had to the tax collectors.
Sometimes there had been a power struggle between the church and state. Sometimes the church had used God as an excuse to take power when it really was a power struggle for control over the people and wealth. Some leaders used religion as excuse for war when what they really wanted was more wealth and control.
When our ancestors first arrived in North America, land had very little value because the territory was so vast. The only wealth for many years came from the furs from wild animals and square timber. Both of those required a lot of hard work and long days to produce anything to sell. Food in the new country required both hunting skills and more hard work clearing land and growing, harvesting, and preparing crops for food as well as storage for off-season use. Early settlers were very close to God every day as they depended on rain, sunshine and growing seasons to provide their food. Just as the First Nations had respected a supreme being and nature for generations before them, the early pioneers also celebrated all the necessary changes in weather and the fish and game that God provided for them. They also respected and looked after the well-being of each other, the animals and the land that fed them.
The only organized religion that the pioneers had contact with was the occasional preacher who arrived either on foot or on horseback to remind them of a supreme being that gave them a reason to settle in and populate this vast wilderness. There was respect for basic values like freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and working together, and freedom of voting for and selecting a very smart and compassionate leader for whatever was needed to make their area better for all. Basic education of their children required a carefully chosen teacher who was not only smart, compassionate with kids, and had good morals, but could keep the community up to date as times advanced.
Settlers from some countries depended on the church for leadership not only in religion, but also in agriculture, and many other decisions like who to vote for or who trust, do business with, and even who not to marry. Early strife between some religions caused many people not to trust their neighbour for no other reason than their religion. Some areas advanced faster and earlier in processing, manufacturing and commerce than others because of different ways of financing and directives given by their church.
Our provinces or states today, like in centuries gone by, have quite different natural resources. Mines, forests, climate, a navigable waterway and agriculture have always been assets, but today oil, precious metals, the ability to produce cheap reliable power and an abundance of clear, fresh water are our new natural resources. The ability to look ahead and manage climate change and guarantee freedom and democracy should be on the minds of every citizen. Lack of thinking ahead any further than the next election will be the demise of any short-sighted politician.
Just as in our past, our children must be educated and prepared to work with and speak with people in other countries to get the best positions in tomorrow’s world. We must be able to use the very best ideas from every corner of the world so our corner of the world can be competitive and supply other areas with whatever they want in whatever language they use.
What kind of a province would you like to pass on to your children?
Chris Judd is a farmer in Clarendon on land that has been in his family for generations.
