Homegrown inspiration
Jaya Pardy, a young woman from Amherst, N.S., has already amassed an impressive list of accomplishments.
She was her high school’s first Mi’kmaw valedictorian, where she also won the Governor General’s Award for the highest combined average in grades 11 and 12. Next she was accepted into Queen’s University’s two-year accelerated program for prospective medical students, where she earned straight A+’s (except for one A in her first year). Now, she has been accepted to Queen’s med school at just 19 years old.
Pardy’s drive for success comes from a place of hardship.
When she was 11, her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The family immediately saw their lives interrupted with countless trips to specialists two hours away in Halifax as her mother’s treatment progressed over the years.
As well as taking it upon herself to schedule her academic and extracurricular pursuits, Pardy grew up balancing living in Amherst while absorbing her family’s culture from Bear River First Nation.
“I saw such a lack of representation of First Nations members as health-care providers as a kid,” Pardy said.
“My goal is to be a Mi’kmaw physician . ... I want to try to help inspire youth to pursue their potential, and that if they always try to do their best there is no limit.”
Indeed, increasing the number of Aboriginal professionals working in Canada’s health-care field is one of the specific calls to action to come out of the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address disparities facing First Nations people.
Another young Indigenous woman from Atlantic Canada had a similar message when she spoke to Saltwire last week.
Magan Basque, a 24-year-old from the Eskasoni First Nation, has made history of as the first Indigenous winner of the Miss Canada United World pageant.
“I really just want to inspire young Indigenous women,” Basque said, pointing to statistics showing an estimated 44 per cent of on reserve First Nations women live below the poverty line.
“I want to really just show everyone in the Indigenous community that if you’re passionate about something, you should follow your dreams.”
As Canada celebrates Indigenous Awareness Week, we wish Basque and Pardy all the best in achieving their goals. As for inspiring others, they are already doing it.
This past weekend was a longer one for many Atlantic Canadians as we observed the Victoria Day holiday on Monday. While those who had the day off certainly appreciated it, has the time come to disassociate the spring holiday from a long-dead monarch?
Queen Victoria’s birthday on May 24 was declared a holiday in Canada in 1845. In 1952, Victoria Day moved permanently to the Monday preceding May 24 and the day was also used to observe Queen Elizabeth II’S birthday (which was actually in June).
With the recent coronation of King Charles III (whose birthday is Nov. 14), there is a growing conversation about the Crown’s role in Canada. Perhaps it’s time to find a Canadian name for the May long weekend. Suggestions welcome.