My Family Environmental History
May 14, 2022 By: Melissa Harding
My family is from all over western Canada, and have lived in a variety of different environments. My maternal grandmother was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, and my maternal grandfather was born in Bellevue, Alberta. He then lived on a small farm in that area before moving to Lethbridge. My maternal grandparents met living in Lethbridge and moved together to a few other small towns in Alberta before settling in Calgary, Alberta. My mother was born in Morinville, Alberta and moved to Calgary where, other than a short time in Grande Prairie, she has remained until present. My paternal grandmother was born in Edmonton, Alberta but lived on a farm just outside of Edmonton, later moved to Burnaby, British Columbia and finally settled in Victoria, British Columbia. My paternal grandfather was born in Youngstown, Alberta, but grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and later moved to Victoria, British Columbia where he met and married my maternal grandmother. My father was born in Victoria, moved to Grande Prairie, Alberta, then later moved to Calgary after meeting my mother, where he has also remained until present. I was born in Calgary and lived there until 2020 when I relocated to Victoria, British Columbia.
My maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother both lived on farms when they were children. My grandfather’s family grew hay, vegetables and wheat, and raised cattle. They sold wheat, cattle, beef and butter locally. My grandmother however lived on a fox farm, where foxes were raised for their fur. Some of the small towns my maternal grandparents lived in were coal mining towns but there was also a small amount of forestry. They did not have occupations related to natural resource industry, but coal mining and forestry were major industries for their community. Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton were major oil and gas cities. Many people lived in those cities and commuted to northern Alberta and to British Columbia for work in rig camps. These communities were supported by the oil and gas industry. The communities in British Columbia were more heavily supported by forestry, but were also supported by oil and gas, as many people would also commute to work in rig camps. British Columbia is a major forestry producer and exporter and these industries support local communities.
With the exception of the two family members’ short stints on farms, my family has lived in heavily human influenced cities. Paved roads, unnatural environments, introduced exotic species (many from Europe) comprised their environments. My father recalls picking blackberries every summer when he was living in Victoria, a species that is not native to British Columbia and is considered invasive. The fox farm was heavily influenced by humans with the construction of pens to contain them. Although there were not buildings or roads constructed, the land was barren with no resemblance to the previous natural environment. My maternal grandfather’s farm would have been more influenced by humans but not to the extent of a city or town. The land was cultivated and introduced species were brought in to grow, but there still were large portions of untouched land in the forested areas on their property. My maternal grandfather’s family was responsible for turning a natural environment into a small-scale farm. Their farming efforts stripped the natural environment and replaced it with cultivated plants. My paternal grandmother’s family was responsible for stripping the natural habitat of their farm, and then maintaining the barren land. The rest of my family has often purchased houses in new communities, where natural environments were destroyed to make way for housing developments.
The Canadian culture is one of assimilation of the land and moderate disregard for natural environments. Growing up, I played the traditional role where I lived in the suburban house, did not think about the impact I had on the environment, and largely did not understand its complexity. As I have grown up my relationship with the environment has changed to one more centered around understanding, respect and preservation. The relationship I had with the environment was largely similar to that of my parents and grandparents. Our family has played their part in transforming natural habitats to fragmented, man-made urban areas with little regard for the needs of the surrounding ecosystem. I hope to maintain my new environmental relationship and pass those values on in the future.