#4 BARB'S REFLECTIVE 150- THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Hugging our west coast, British Columbia is an amazing province of people and landscape. Vancouver-host to the 2010 Olympics. One of 10 Canadian provinces.

POSTCARDS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA

It is always fun to receive postcards in thes modern times. A quick note on a pretty postcard is unlike an email no matter how many emails received. Postcards are saved while not all emails are worth keeping. The postcard from Victoria is from my sister Marilee. She was visiting her boys and granddaughter in August 2013.

The second postcard is from Vancouver. Our friend Rose writes so dearly-it was time for a good old fashioned postcard!

A POSTCARD FROM TOTEM POLE LAND ( BRITISH COLUMBIA)

I found these old postcards from the early 1960's that my mother had given me.

They are depictions of totem poles created by the Kwakiuti tribe( top two) and the Bella Coola tribe(bottom two). Images of ravens, thunderbirds, beaver and eagle are images often used in Totem Poles.

The Totem Poles above are from Thunderbird Park in Victoria British Columbia. Don't they show the range and depth of Native art and creativity. The old postcard-circa 1900 shows a cradle that was used only for one baby. When finished with it, the mother would hide it in the woods.
The man in the postcard is from th Coastal Salish tribe. He is in ceremonial regalia. Head dresses and masks such as these were only used on special occasions.

A totem pole at Georgia Park- Nanaimo BC and Prospect Point- Stanley Park, Vancouver BC are some of the many places totem poles can be found. The Kwakiutl postcard is a picture taken by Edward S. Curtis, 1914. He was a photographer that took many pictures of the " North America Indian". I even have one of his large print books on my bookshelf. The picture show two masked performers in the winter dance representing hug, mythical birds. Totem poles can be found in other parts of British Columbia as well as Canada. Just visit the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto Ontario and you will find a huge one in the stairwell.
If you want a postcard featured here email me at abdm@rogers.com and I will send you my address so you can send me a postcard.

NANA SAYS IT IS FUN TO REMEMBER SUMMERS PAST

I remember taking my girls to many local attractions yearly. They loved Canada's Wonderland which they could go alone when they were older. A season's pass was an annual purchase! I loved the Toronto Zoo so we would go at least once and even twice some years. The Black Creek Pioneer Village with its horse and wagon ride was fun. Local beaches like Lake Wilcox and the local pool consolidated winter swimming lessons. A few trips to Centre Island in Toronto with their father in tow was a fun day. Ontario Place had several visits from us. If invited, an overnight at a friend's cottage. One summer I took the girls and one friend each to a rental summer townhouse on Lake Simcoe for a week. Adolph came up during the week and Sundays! It was a blast! Another summer-1989- I took the girls west to see the folks in Westbank, BC. They had a fun visit with their cousins as well. With Adolph's busy summer schedule, the day trips were just me and the girls. Of course, when I first started genealogy, many trips to local museums and cemeteries searching for our roots! I would pay the girls a loonie even if they did not find a family name! I enjoyed the day trips but not the fighting in the car and "are we there yet?" What about you? What trips have you done so far? Are there favourite places you visit every year?

CANADIAN FOREST FIRES ARE SCARY EVENTS!

As a fire rages in Northern Ontario and the town of Kirkland Lake is on evacuation standby, it is always a reminder of the power of fire and nature combined. As we worry about the safety of the families living there, it is a time to remember we all must be on some form of evacuation order at some time. Even in large urban areas, with chemical spills looming at times we all could face such a stressful event. We are advised by emergency services to have supplies in our homes for power outages or other natural disasters like tornados. I am not sure I would be ready to evacuate on a moment's notice. What to throw in the car? I know I would grab my purse and camera. Perhaps thinking about an emergency bag like the one to be packed when waiting for a baby to be born housed in a front closet would be an idea. This event really reminds me of the fire in Westbank British Columbia in July 2009. My folks' home was in the way of a forest fire on the mountain. They only lost their front hedge and some siding on the house was damaged. The water from the helicopter that doused their house caused a little damage in the house-came in through the front door. Their neighbour had a car burnt and some damage to their garden on their slope. It was a very close call!!

It was called the Glenrosa fire. The saw mill, as can be seen in the picture, was saved by the workers as many actually lived in Glenrosa. When I stood on the road behind my folks' home and viewed the damage on the mountain ridge, it was a real blessing the homes were saved.

As with any disaster there are always people involved who do their job which can often mean risking their lives. There is a beautiful four sided tribute to the events of the Glenrosa fire of 2009 on the side of the ride.
Today there are crews from Ontario fighting our fire. There are 80 fire fighters coming from British Columbia to assist our guys. In 2009 crews from Ontario went to BC to help with not only the Glenrosa fire but others that had been occurring along the Okanagan Valley. In the forest fire fighting community there is a real commarderie of assisting each other regardless where the fire may occur. Here's to all the men and women doing their jobs. In my family I have a nephew, Tom who will be very involved today fighting this current fire. Do you have anyone in harm's way today? Perhaps we all need to say a little prayer for our loved ones!