With reference to a recent local article on Prime Minister Harper as well as an article from MacLean’s magazine on the lack of history of Canada taught to our children, I would like to recommend two fantastic books.
If every Canadian from high school on would read these they would have such a comprehensive knowledge of our country.
The first one is Peter C. Newman’s trilogy Company of Adventurers. One would think it could be daunting, but it is fascinating. He writes with humour with many sketches and much research. It starts out with the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the men who went through such hardships. Has anyone heard of Rupert’s Land? You’ll certainly find out soon enough. Do we know why the beaver is portrayed so much in Canada? You will.
The second book is Pierre Burton’s 1812. It became very clear after reading this why the War of 1812 is so important. One aspect that is so illuminating was Tecumseh, a Native-American who played such an important part in this war. Without his help I wonder if Canada would have been a part of the U.S.A. instead of England. Burton, too, did much research. We were taught about the war in school but much was left out.
I sometimes wonder why Canada was not named Nova Scotia only because there were so many explorers who were Scotsmen. Newman’s book writes up to our present day.
When I think of the explorers sludging and deprivations to what we have today, it is mind-boggling. To reiterate whet I wrote in a previous letter, what a wonderful country we live in.
Marlene White
Okanagan Falls
