Sulphur Skyline
Jasper AB
Being someone who tries to appreciate the beauty Canada has to offer, I never put any thought into thinking from a historical perspective. History had never been an interest of mine until I began taking this class about Pre-Confederation Canada. At first, the workload in this course made me nervous and I wondered how I would stay on top of the readings each week. As time passed, I began to see how reading academic journals and scholarly articles was slowly teaching me how to think historically and how to summarize the main points into one paper.
Little did I know that this would become my favourite class.
It is sad to say I did not know very much about the deep roots of Canadian history. In elementary school, I remember learning about John A. Macdonald and the residential schools, but never anything about Pre-Confederation Canada. From the small portion of knowledge remembered form elementary and high school, I began to develop preconceived notions towards Canada’s history. I thought it was boring and had no relevance to the country I know today; Dr. Tracy Penny Light showed me I was wrong. This course not only told the great accomplishments, explorers, women, and politicians had but where many fell short of humane duties towards the Indigenous groups of Canada. History 1120 allowed me to discover certain aspects of history, such as gender roles and education, that I hope I can continue pursuing.