Exercise #2: Family Environmental History
August 22, 2023 By: Riley P
Exercise #2: Family Environmental History
My family’s story in Canada started around two generations ago when my father’s side immigrated from Sweden and settled in Gibsons, BC. Which at the time (and relatively speaking, still is!) was a small town along the coast of BC, where most people relied heavily on the local resources, such as the fishing and forestry industry, to sustain themselves.
When look at my family’s history in Gibsons, it’s quite evident that the resources that sustained my family lifestyles were also deeply tied to both the forestry industry and the coastal region. Both my grandparents had jobs that relied heavily on nature. My grandpa on my dad’s side worked as an engineer at the Mill in Port Mellon, which played a big role within the logging sector and using trees to create various resources. As this operation required a lot of trees, the nearby forests were very important. My other grandpa worked with on tugboats and was also a beachcomber in the Gibson’s area. This shows how important both ocean and the coastline were for both their jobs.
Considering whether the environments were natural or altered by people, it’s clear that both the forests and the coast were transformed by human activity. Logging and milling, like what my grandpas did, significantly changed forests by cutting down many trees. Similarly, my other grandpa’s work with tugboats and beachcombing had an impact on the coast’s natural state. The jobs my grandparents had led to various changes within their environment. Cutting trees and milling can really change how a place looks, like the forests they were working in. Working with boats and collecting things from the beach could also change the coast lines and beaches. Even though they needed to work these jobs to live, it’s important to think about how these jobs might have affected the places around them.
My father also followed a similar trajectory in terms of his connection to natural resources and work. Like my grandparents, he too was involved in industries that shaped and transformed the environment. He worked in the logging industry, which was a continuation of my family’s’ legacy tied to forestry. His role in logging, like his father’s, played a part in the alteration of forests and landscapes. In addition to his involvement in logging, my father later transitioned to the construction industry. This shift brought him into a different side of transforming the environment. Construction, while essential for building infrastructure and communities, can also have environmental impacts through land development, resource usage, and waste generation. My father’s experiences in both the logging and construction industries offer a perspective on how people’s relationships with natural resources and the environment can change over their careers.
My grandparents and parents were closely tied to the environment through their work, relying on natural resources for almost the entirety of their careers. Their interactions often led to transformations/impacts on their surroundings. However, my own relationship with the environment has evolved quite differently. Having pursued higher education and now working in an office-based role in real estate investments, my connection to nature is less about making a living and more about enjoying it for leisure and making meaningful choices for future generations. Unlike their professions, my work doesn’t directly shape the environment. Rather, I engage with my environment for recreational purposes and try to make eco-conscious decisions in my daily life. The era I grew up in has emphasized environmental awareness and sustainability for the future generations. While my grandparents and parents had more immediate needs tied to nature, I approach it with more of a focus to preserve and cherishing it while I can.
In summary, my grandparents and parents depended on nature for their jobs, while my view is more of a “enjoy and protect it”. I think this reflects a bigger trend of valuing nature for enjoyment and sustainability, instead of a means to make a living.