Family Environmental History
June 24, 2024 By: Heather Prohaska
I come from a diverse ethnic background of German, Irish, Swedish, Romanian, and Scottish. That being said, my family came to North America in the early to mid-1800s. Some family lines have lived in North America for six generations. I’ll focus on my grandparents from my father’s side, my parents’ life together, and my family life.
Both my paternal grandparents were born in the United States of America. One immigrated by train, and the other came by wagon to Manitoba in the early 1900s with their families to set up farms. My grandfather cleared the land his family had purchased to make it suitable for farming, changing it from its natural environment. My grandmother quit school after grade 3 to work on her family farm. When my grandparents married, they continued farming land together for about 10 years.
A move to B.C. was necessary due to my grandmother’s health concerns. She required better access to fresh fruit and vegetables than they could get in the prairies. The growing season in B.C. was much longer and had better variety. Once in B.C., life changed for my grandparents a certain amount. Here, they purchased 2 acres of land. Again, my grandfather had to clear the land to adapt it so he could build a house, barn, large garden and orchard. They built a four-room house, as there were building restrictions during WWII. A barn was built for laying hens, and they sold their eggs. My grandfather switched from being a farmer to working as a longshoreman at the docks in New Westminster, where he worked until his retirement. My grandmother tended to the home, garden, chickens and children. They grew most of the food they ate on their 2 acres, so she spent much time preserving food for winter.
My father grew up on this property, playing in the garden, climbing the fruit trees, harvesting with his mother and running around the neighbourhood. He was also connected to the land through play and some garden chores. When it came time for him to work, he also worked as a longshoreman for many years before settling on a career as a truck driver.
My parents’ life together was a mix of rural and suburban living. They were like nomads within the Fraser Valley. As a child, I moved every year until I was 8. We would go from living in a house in the country with gardens and animals to living in a duplex with no yard. So, I had various experiences with different environments and land experiences. We often had a small garden, and my mother always preserved food. She usually went to local farms to purchase vegetables and fruits to can or freeze for winter. However, my family also ate prepared food like anyone else in the 1970’s: chips, pop, candy, and sweets. There was not much thought as to how life was impacting the environment.
The childhood experience I was drawn to was farm living and being outside. Life outside fills my soul. As a young adult, I moved to the mountains and spent my free time hiking, skiing, and climbing. Once I was married and had children, we purchased raw land in the mountains of B.C. that we cleared and altered the environment. We have set up our property to remain as natural as possible with limited lawns and flowers. I am currently looking at planting something other than a lawn. We’ve been on our property for 21 years; we have a house, shop and a large vegetable garden. Even though we grow a lot of food in the summer, we still purchase a weekly local garden box. It takes a big garden to be completely self-sustainable, so we supplement our needs with locally-grown food. We have become conscious of where our food comes from and how far it has travelled. Eating in season is part of our life, so fresh strawberries in January are not a thing in our household. I am more in touch with the land than my parents, similar to my grandparents. Our children have had a rural living experience on our property. Their time was spent playing in the dirt, exploring forests, hiking, climbing, swimming in lakes, etc. They even helped slaughter chickens and worked in the garden. Our children are very aware of the environment and their future. One is a strict vegan and is studying Environmental Science at UBC. She thinks about her actions regularly and how they will impact the Earth. The other is also very environmentally conscious and participates in the garden work.
My grandparents lived off the land initially in the prairies. Then, they transitioned to semi-rural living in BC with a job in the city and growing as much food as possible. My parents lived in the suburbs, mostly buying everything they needed. I have returned to rural living, growing some food and shopping locally when available. Our children are figuring out what kind of life they want and how it will impact the globe.