Seeing the beauty in all people

My mother was a strong, gentle, and proud Mohawk woman. My father was the first generation to be born here. His parents were Germans from the Russian Ukraine. They were also of the Mennonite Brethren faith.

In my mother and father’s families I am the first child born of mixed race. There was no one in either family who could guide me through some of the negative encounters that I experienced as a child. However, both families gave me unconditional love.

I now walk in both worlds. I understand the true misery that colonization has created. Some friends and a great aunt and uncle went to residential schools. My paternal grandparents came to Canada to escape religious persecution. They worked hard and had a good life here.

I understand why indigenous peoples were not celebrating Canada’s 150th. But, I did celebrate, because not only do I believe that reconciliation will happen in my lifetime, I celebrated to honour my immigrant grandparents.

I will continue to plant each foot firmly in different nations and actively contribute to both. Hopefully, over the years, I have developed the skill to see the beauty in all people and to see the world through other’s eyes.

Yvonne Dugdale St. Catharines

Newfoundland is waking up, like Quebec did in the 1960s. Churchill Falls was a bad contract and Quebec could be more generous instead of blocking Newfoundland and Labrador hydroelectric development. There should be room for a win-win deal for both provinces.

Newfoundland’s contribution to Canadian wealth is greater than the rest of us would dare admit. Had it not joined Canada, would Quebec still be part of this country?

Marc Ryan Embrun, Ont.