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Celebrate Nanaimo’s entire history

NANAIMO – Re: No room for ‘Empire’ in today’s society, Letters, June 8.

To the Editor,

Re: No room for ‘Empire’ in today’s society, Letters, June 8.

My grandparents on both sides immigrated to Nanaimo in 1906 despite what Gord Fuller refer to as a short history.

They came to a new land with an existing population and built a new society of tolerance. They also came to build a better life for themselves and others through hard work and prosperity grew from it.

The early people in Nanaimo may of been divided by culture, but in my experience they were not racist. None of the children I new in Nanaimo were restricted from enjoying the company of other cultures such as First Nations, Chinese, Italian and many other.

We visited each others homes, went to school together, played sports together and we enjoy friendships with many cultures today.

With the many generations, cultural lines have blurred and blended. There are marriages across many of these cultures now including First Nations and this has been the case for many years.

When Empire Days rolls around, my thoughts go to my grandfather and his relatives who fought in the First World War and the sacrifice they made for this society. My father’s time overseas in the Second World War was spent first in the Royal Air Force and then the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Do people not think they diminish our multicultural society as it has been developed today by denying the history that brought us to this point? Celebrate it.

Promote the good qualities, continue to educate our children.

And enjoy the parade.

Carl Steele

Nanaimo