Family Environmental History
April 7, 2024 By: Danielle Fernstrom
The ecological history of my hometown is intimately tied to my family’s history. Only five years after the initiation of the development of Mackenzie my paternal grandparents moved to the place I was born in the early 1970’s. For three generations my family has been living within the same mountain range yet have experienced dramatically different environments over the 50 years. I live in a society far more detached from the natural world around me than my grandparents ever did when they occupied this area. The interaction in society with the surrounding ecology is diminished by modern technology and patterns of living.
Prior to settling into the area I call home, my father and his family lived in a much colder part of Canada, Churchill, Manitoba. Both areas are known to experience frigid temperatures however, Churchill’s cold climate provided an experience different from the one I experienced. Living in rural Northern British Columbia I have had my fair share of experiences living alongside black bears and the odd grizzly bear. However, my father and his parents were often frequented by polar bears. In fact, my fathers family found themselves raising a young polar bear after a series of unfortunate events as a part of a rehabilitation effort. Regardless where I lived in Canada, the chances of being allowed to take a bear into my home is slim to none. This is a good reminder that our parents and grandparents did not just live in different environments than us but with different regulations that allowed them to interact with their surrounding nature in different ways.
My maternal grandparents have been settled in Newfoundland for many generations and affected by the unique ecological features of island life. The culture of island populations such as Newfoundland are less affected by the influx of other cultures and remain unique in their own way. There is very little predator pressure in Newfoundland which makes seeing animals such as moose a near daily occurrence and being in the woods a common practice. The tendency to remain outdoors and enjoy nature has not been lost as quickly as other parts of Canada. There are ample animals to hunt which is common practice among many people in newfoundland. Fishing is a common pastime enjoyed among friends and no night is too cold for a fire. My mother growing up in this environment impacted the activities I took part in growing up.