I was born and raised in Nanaimo, where my family lived in 1967. My older sister, Wendy, got married at the beginning of the year and had her first child, a daughter, before the year was out. We always said those were her centennial projects.
Our parents became grandparents, Wendy and her husband became parents, and we became aunts and an uncle!
My younger sister, Laurel, suntanned in her two-piece bathing suit that summer, with a real maple leaf resting on her tummy: a white tattoo that took a couple of years to blend in!
I was the luckiest. I entered a contest at my high school to travel to another part of sa国际传媒 that would be a stark contrast to my life on the island: Melfort, Saskatchewan!
I was one of five students chosen from Nanaimo. We were joined by other students from what is now known as Oceanside (Parksville, Qualicum Beach, etc.). We travelled by train and loved sleeping and eating on it; we had our own car so enjoyed getting to know each other.
On arrival in Melfort, we were greeted and billeted with local families. My host family鈥檚 father was an agronomist, something I had never heard of before! I enjoyed visits to farms and saw thrashing machines, grain elevators, and other massive machines.
On the train ride I remember seeing birch trees and being fascinated by the bark. I wish I had taken more pictures and kept a journal but at 17, I lived only in the moment.
My family history is a long one in sa国际传媒 on my mother鈥檚 father鈥檚 side. At a family reunion nearly 40 years ago, an aunt had traced it back to the time of 鈥渢he King鈥檚 Daughters鈥� around 1663-1673 when King Louis XIV of France sent about 800 young women out to 鈥淣ew France鈥� to marry the voyageurs so they would settle and populate the country and keep it a French stronghold. I have so far only gone back as far as Elisha Davis, born in 1821 in Ontario.
In the First World War, both my grandfathers were at Vimy Ridge. One was a medic with the Canadian contingent.
My father, Ken Wright, immigrated to sa国际传媒 in 1928 at the age of five from England.
His father was a coal miner but with terrible union issues in the mining industry, the family sailed 鈥渙n relief鈥� to sa国际传媒 where he found work in Nanaimo鈥檚 coal mines.
Dad was a Second World War pilot so was able to carry on his favourite career after the war, of being a bush pilot, flying one of the first Beavers all over the province and up to the Yukon.
He was into many places accessible only by horseback or float plane and flew loggers and fishermen to camp or home.
I feel 鈥渧ery Canadian鈥� and always knew I was lucky to be born here and during the time of history that I am.
This island is a jewel and I have been fortunate enough to live in three communities on it: Nanaimo, then Victoria, and now Parksville. 鈥� Linda (Wright) Chan