Canada turns 150 years old this week. Celebrations of this milestone have been somewhat muted, when compared to the 100th anniversary in 1967 which captured the attention and interest of nearly all Canadians and many people in other countries.
It is worthwhile to remember what this country has achieved, look at where it is going and consider possible changes to make it better.
Surrey, Delta and White Rock have had significant moments in the past 150 years, and it’s worth remembering some of them.
In 1867, there were only a few people living in what are now these three communities. Most were First Nations people, who while nomadic at times, spent much time on or near the Fraser River or the ocean, the source of much of their food and their means of transportation.
These people had lived here for millennia. When newcomers of European background, who first came to this area as traders and later as gold miners, arrived on their shores, they were extended a hand of friendship. First Nations people often received nothing in return.
In the worst cases, promises were made which did not materialize, and First Nations people were deliberately made sick with diseases such as smallpox, which they had never encountered. This was both terribly contagious and deadly.
Unfortunately, this set up the current situation we are in, in terms of treaties, land use and living together peaceably. The Tsawwassen treaty, ratified in 2007, was a much-needed step in the right direction and the Tsawwassen First Nation in Delta has set an example for other First Nations clustered in the urban areas of B.C.
Surrey and Delta (White Rock didn’t become a separate city until 1957, when it seceded from Surrey) were both incorporated in 1879, eight years after the colony of B.C. became part of Canada. They were rural municipalities in every sense of the word, with very limited transportation and communication options. People lived on fertile land and fed themselves, but selling the products of their farms wasn’t simple. Others were loggers or fishermen.
Numerous roads and trails were built in the early days and these form the framework of the road network today. These included Scott Road, the Semiahmoo Trail, McLellan Road and Yale Road.
There were no bridges to New Westminster, the chief city on the mainland in 1879, or Vancouver, which first started to develop as a city in 1886. The first one was built between the Liverpool area (now Bridgeview) and New Westminster in 1904. It is still there today, used only by railways. At first it also had an upper deck for horses, buggies, farm wagons and the very occasional car.
Great Northern Railway’s decision to reroute its original line to a new one along the coast (it opened in 1909) led to the establishment of White Rock and Crescent Beach.
Roads were often poor until the 1940s. A new bridge, the Pattullo, opened in 1937 and served to bring people to Surrey in significant numbers. Delta had to wait to be connected with communities to the north until 1959, when the George Massey tunnel opened.
Since those connections opened, there has been almost continuous growth. It is far from over. Farming is still important, but in areas less suited for farming, development has been intense.
Surrey became a city in 1993, setting the stage for even more growth and for a change in attitude towards what many people in other areas had considered a sprawling and rambunctious non-entity.
The future is bright, but there is plenty of work to do to ensure that all residents can fully participate in all these communities have to offer.
Frank Bucholtz writes weekly for Black Press, as well as at frankbucholtz.blogspot.ca.
Canada inaadhimisha miaka 150 wiki hii. Sherehe za maadhimisho ya miaka 100 ya Canada zilikuwa za kawaida, lakini kwa sababu ya miaka 100 ya maadhimisho ya miaka 100 ya Canada, watu wengi nchini Canada na nchi nyingine walianza kuadhimisha maadhimisho hayo. Ni muhimu kukumbuka kile nchi hii imepata, angalia inakwenda wapi na kuzingatia mabadiliko yanayowezekana kuifanya iwe bora. "Wakati wa mkutano huo, Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Uingereza, David Cameron, alisema: ""Wakati wa miaka 150 iliyopita, Surrey, Delta na White Rock zilikuwa na matukio muhimu, na ni muhimu kukumbuka baadhi yao." Mnamo mwaka wa 1867, kulikuwa na watu wachache tu walioishi katika maeneo hayo matatu. Wengi wao walikuwa watu wa First Nations, ambao wakati wa kutembea wakati mwingine, walitumia muda mwingi kwenye au karibu na Mto Fraser au bahari, chanzo cha chakula chao na njia zao za usafiri. Watu hao walikuwa wameishi hapa kwa maelfu ya miaka. Wakati wahamiaji wa Ulaya walipofika katika eneo hilo, kwanza kama wafanyabiashara na baadaye kama wachimbaji wa dhahabu, waliwaonyesha urafiki wao. Mara nyingi watu wa Mataifa ya Kwanza hawakupokea chochote kwa kubadilishana. Katika hali mbaya zaidi, ahadi zilitolewa ambazo hazikutimizwa, na watu wa Mataifa ya Kwanza waliambukizwa kwa makusudi magonjwa kama vile ugonjwa wa ndui, ambao hawakuwa wamekutana nayo kamwe. Jambo hilo lilikuwa naambukiza sana na pia lilikuwa lenye kuua. Kwa bahati mbaya, hii ilianzisha hali ya sasa tuliyo nayo, kwa suala la mikataba, matumizi ya ardhi na kuishi pamoja kwa amani. Mkataba wa Tsawwassen, uliothibitishwa mnamo 2007, ulikuwa hatua muhimu katika mwelekeo sahihi na Taifa la Kwanza la Tsawwassen huko Delta limeweka mfano kwa Mataifa mengine ya Kwanza yaliyokusanywa katika maeneo ya mijini ya B.C. Jiji la White Rock lilijitenga na jimbo la Surrey mwaka wa 1957, na lilijengwa mwaka wa 1879. ikawa sehemu ya Kanada. Zilikuwa manispaa za mashambani katika maana yote ya neno hilo, zikiwa na chaguzi chache sana za usafiri na mawasiliano. Watu waliishi kwenye ardhi yenye rutuba na kujilisha, lakini kuuza bidhaa za mashamba yao haikuwa rahisi. Wengine walikuwa wachimbaji wa miti au wavuvi. Barabara na vijia vingi vilijengwa katika siku za mapema na hizi huunda mfumo wa mtandao wa barabara leo. Hizi ni pamoja na Scott Road, Semiahmoo Trail, McLellan Road na Yale Road. Hakuna daraja lililokuwa limesogezwa kwenda New Westminster, mji mkuu wa bara la Uingereza mwaka 1879, au Vancouver, mji uliokuwa umeanza kujengwa mwaka 1886. Mji wa kwanza ulianzishwa mwaka 1904 kati ya eneo la Liverpool (sasa Bridgeview) na New Westminster. Bado iko hapo leo, ikitumiwa tu na reli. Mwanzoni pia ilikuwa na sakafu ya juu kwa ajili ya farasi, magari, magari ya kilimo na magari ya mara kwa mara. Uamuzi wa reli ya Great Northern ya kuelekeza tena mstari wake wa awali kwa mpya kando ya pwani (ilifunguliwa mwaka wa 1909) ulisababisha kuanzishwa kwa White Rock na Crescent Beach. Barabara zilikuwa mbaya hadi miaka ya 1940. Daraja la Pattullo lilijengwa mwaka 1937 na kuwezesha watu wengi sana kufika Surrey. Delta ililazimika kusubiri kuunganishwa na jamii kaskazini hadi 1959, wakati handaki la George Massey lilifunguliwa. Tangu kuanzishwa kwa uhusiano huo, kumekuwa na ukuzi wa karibu wa daima. Ni mbali sana na kumalizika. Kilimo bado ni muhimu, lakini katika maeneo yasiyofaa kwa kilimo, maendeleo yamekuwa makali. Surrey ilijulikana kama mji wa Uingereza mwaka 1993, na kuanzisha hatua kwa ajili ya ukuaji zaidi na kwa ajili ya mabadiliko ya mtazamo kuelekea kile watu wengi katika maeneo mengine walikuwa kuchukuliwa kuenea na rambunctious non-kiumbe. Wakati ujao ni mzuri, lakini kuna kazi nyingi ya kufanya ili kuhakikisha kwamba wakazi wote wanaweza kushiriki kikamilifu katika jamii hizi zote. Frank Bucholtz anaandika kila wiki kwa Black Press, pamoja na kwenye frankbucholtz.blogspot.ca.