Book Report: Forging The Prairie West
One of the books I read this past winter was “Forging The Prairie West” by John Herd Thompson, published in 1998. It was an enlightening read as Thompson documented the early years of Canada’s prairie settlement. It put into perspective current issues like “colonization, racism, western alienation and impact of immigration” based on late 19th and early 20th centuries activities in Western Canada. The history of these issues is very relevant to understanding Canada’s current and I expect future, cultural, economic and political evolution. It is amazing how similar Calgary’s social and political climate today is to that of 100 years ago.
The back cover descriptor of the book it states: “Integral to the narrative are 166 paintings, drawings, period maps and photographs, some that have never been published before.” I have gathered a selection of the illustrations and some of the text to create a visual book report that I expect many readers will find very provocative.
The book is full of interesting history like:
How there has always been a city / country or rural divide.
How schools were used early in the 20th Century for assimilation not only of indigenous people, but also non-British Europeans. Yes, Canadians of British descent superior to everyone when the Prairies were being settled.
How the Prairies have always felt like a colony of the East.
How the Prairie economy has evolved from furs to wheat to oil & gas.
it is interesting to read about the Great Depression, unemployment and hobos vs today’s homelessness.
There is also a reminder that protesting has always been part of Prairie culture, it is not a new thing as some would have us believe.
Thompson was born in Winnipeg in 1946 and earned his Ph.D from Queen’s University in 1975. He taught as several North American Universities - Simon Fraser, McGill and Duke. In addition to “Forging The Prairie West,” he wrote “Canada and the United States: Ambivalent Allies,” “Canada 1922-1939: Decades of Discord” and “Harvests of War: The Prairie West, 1914 to 1918.”
Last Word
While I am not a huge history guy, it is amazing how the early 20th century is similar to the early 21s century in so many ways. While I am NOT an advocate for Alberta separation, I do understand the need for radical change in how Canada’s various levels of governments manage everything from immigration to health care and education, from hydro power to fossil fuels. If we don’t RADICALLY change how we are governed we may end up bankrupt like the Hudson Bay Company. And Yes, we might be come the 51st State of the USA.
We have to stop thinking and acting like a federation of regions and start to think like a united country. Governments need to foster collaboration not conflict. I am not optimistic we can change this path we are on no matter what party is elected federally or provincially. I hope I am wrong!