Unit 2: How Victorian Values Can Be Harmful

In the movie Rabbit Proof Fence, Mr. Neville is a British man sent to Australia. His job there is to take all half European and half Native children away from their families and into residential schools. In this time the Victorians like Mr. Neville, people living under queen Victoria’s rule did many good things for the world but they also did many awful things.

Victorians believed in hard work and good morals(Cranny, Jarvis, Moles & Seney, 2009). They took modesty, and duty very seriously and most importantly they thought that they were the “best.” They believed that everyone should behave the way they did and in thinking so they harmed and disrespected many cultures. They did these things without thinking of how their actions would negatively affect others.

One of the ways they tried to assimilate cultures was by sending native children to residential schools(University of British Columbia, 2013). This harmful practice of taking children from their homes was to teach them to be Pro- Victorian. They taught them English, Christianity and many more of their beliefs.

Cranny,M., Jarvis,G., Moles,G., & Seney,B. Horizons: Canada’s emerging identity (2009).

The University of British Columbia.(2013). The Residential School System. Retrieved from:http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/government-policy/the-residential-school-system.html

mr. neville


Unit 2: How is North America Politically Different from the 19th Century?

Politically, North America is very stable. We live in a democratic government that listens to what we say and for the most part does good things for the country. We are allowed to vote for those who represent us in government. We also have a say in the laws they pass, though it hasn’t always been this way (Library of Parliament, 2012).

In the early 19th century Europeans came to settle in North America for various reasons. The government systems they had didn’t favour them. In Upper Canada the family compact , a small group of wealthy men made all the decisions, and always disputed with the residents over land. In Lower Canada the chateau clique controlled everything, and even though Lower Canada was mostly French, the leaders were English which caused many problems. Life was hard for the working class and they lived in unbearable poverty and received no help from the government (Wikipedia, 2013).

The lack of a representative and responsible government lead to in one case the American Revolution and in  Canada, the Rebellions in the 1830s. Eventually Canada became a unified country with a democratic-like government. North America has evolved greatly since then.

Library of Parliament. (2012). The Parliament of Canada- Democracy in Action. Retrieved from:http://www.parl.gc.ca/about/parliament/publications/democracyinaction/democracy-e.asp

Wikipedia. (2013). Rebellions of 1837. Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebellions_of_1837


Unit 1: Global Warming

 Global Warming is a huge problem in the world today. Everyday we see that the world we live in is becoming more and more unhealthy and it’s because of us. If we don’t make a change fast, a day may come when it’s far too late and all the beauty that once inhabited this land will be lost.

We are blessed in Canada to have such amazing landscape around the country. Monstrous trees, rushing waters, and far-ranging mountains are found all over the country. Sadly because of global warming and other environmental issues, we are unable to preserve these beautiful scenes of nature.

If global warming continues, our lives will be different from all aspects. Looking in the future at about 2050 or 2100 I can see the way we dress changing because the magnificent winters we experience are no more. I can see the food we grow here not being here anymore because of temperature changes. And last but not least, I can see the natural resource of water depleting because of all the carbon dioxide, making it too acidic for the animals and the people (Wikipedia, 2013). I see the polar bears in the northern region of the country drowning because all of the icebergs have melted away (National Wildlife Federation, 2013). For more info visit:http://nrdc.org/globalwarming

National Wildlife Federation. (2013). Global Warming and Polar Bears. Retrieved from:http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx

Wikipedia. (2013). Ocean acidification. Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification


Unit 2: How Have the Lives of Women Changed?

When you look through a timeline of the lives of women over the past 200 years, you can see the oppression and inequality we have faced. Not being allowed to do the simplest things like going for a walk or even being able to vote still exist in this modern world. I can certainly say that the lives of women are better. But how can we say we live in an equal world if on so many places on the planet girls and women are denied things that girls and women in Canada take for granted.

In the early 19th century female colonists were living under many different rules and regulations. There were many things that they weren’t allowed to do. Such as owning land or divorcing their husbands, 2 things most women around the world are allowed to do today. A similarity between then and now is that usually the women do the housework and take care of the children and a sad thing that is still the same is less pay for the same amount of work (Cranny, Jarvis, Moles & Seney, 2009).

Now in the western world people would say that women have it pretty equal with men except for some traditions that favour one gender or the other. Sadly, in some places in the world women are denied their freedom because they are women. In some extreme cases female babies are killed (Three Deadliest Words in the World: It’s a Girl, 2012). We need to hope that in the next few years we can help change that. For more information about women’s rights and education visit :http://becauseiamagirl.ca


Mattes,B.(2012) Three Deadliest Words in the World: It’s a Girl. Retrieved from:http://www.lifenews.com/2012/09/07/three-deadliest-words-in-the-world-its-a-girl/



Tynehead Park:Poem

The moss that grows on fallen trees,
silk spider webs glistening in the morning sun.
Decomposing maple leaves,
whimpering dogs on the run.
Rushing water pouring down the streams,
chirping birds having fun.
Feeling at peace and in harmony,
Tynehead Park has surely won.

Geography of Canada-Who Are We

When we look around the world we see many different people with so many different ways of life. The way someone may live in Brazil will be different than the way someone may live in Russia. This is because our lives are shaped by the land we chose to inhabit on. The food we eat, the way we travel, our religions and so much more are all affected by where in the world we are. The things we may do in this part of the world may be deemed crazy in another part. Our climate, location, size, quality resources, and population density are some factors that one may use to define a country (Wikipedia, 2013).

As Canadians we are lucky to have such a vast landmass because we can chose where in the country to live. Though we are able to import and export goods to different provinces and territories, the way we dress and eat will be different because other areas will experience different weather that will shape the way they live. People outside outside of Canada believe that all the people in the country are the same. That in this large country we all go through and do the same things, but that is certainly not the case. Canada being such a developed country makes it attractive to many immigrants that all bring their culture here with them (Canadian Overseas Immigration and Business Inc, 2013). Have you ever seen a postcard that said welcome to Canada and had an image of someone wearing a parka and standing beside an igloo?

Who Canadians are cannot be described in one word. For example, we have large cities like Vancouver and Montreal that have top-end cuisine but they are different because we have different cultures and vegetation. In Vancouver you need a raincoat, while in Montreal you will need a heavy jacket. Not to mention Montreal is a larger city population wise. In Vancouver we would probably describe ourselves as laid-back while in Montreal people may say they are a bit busier and have more fun. These are 2 cities in one country that show how different the lives of the residents are because of location, climate, vegetation, population and so much more.

Canadian Overseas Immigration and Business Inc. (2013). Why Immigrate to Canada? Retrieved from:http://www.coibs.com/english/why.html

Wikipedia. (2013). Geography of Canada. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_canada
welcome to canada

Introduction:Historic Quote

 History is a rather wide and vague topic to discuss. It could be what you had for breakfast in the morning or the discovery of fire. But one sure thing about it is that all things that have happened in the past should be important to you. History makes the present and shapes the future and so many things that have happened in the past have made you who you are today.

One of the most important quotes about history in my opinion was written by Aldous Huxley.“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons history has to teach” (Huxley, 2013). The reason I love this quote so much is because I feel that It speaks the truth. How many times have you done something, known it was wrong, then done it again? How many times have nations gone to war for reasons like religion knowing that it leads to bloodshed on both sides?

There are many quotes like this one.“We learn from history we learn nothing from history” (Shaw, 2013). We know that what we have done in the past is supposed to teach us but so many times we have made the same mistakes and suffered the same consequences. That’s why history should be of so much importance to people. It teaches us what has caused problems in the past to prevent them later on. To learn more about Aldous Huxley visit Aldous Huxley

Huxley,A.(2013). Quotes About History. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/16293-that-men-do-not-learn-very-much-from-the-lessons

Shaw,G.(2013). Learning from History Famous Quotations and Quotes. Retrieved from http://www.writersmugs.com/quotes.php?day=11