Once again it’s February, with its special theme for Heritage Day and Heritage Week. This year, in keeping with Canada’s 150th anniversary, the theme for British Columbia is My Canada! My B.C.!
The Heritage Society of B.C., in presenting the 2017 theme, notes that they hope “all British Columbians will celebrate our place and contribution to Canada.”
We know from talking to people throughout the year that there is a great interest in seeking out and discovering more about our heritage, in learning and understanding more about our history, and in seeing how it is all connected.
Looking back to the times when Canada and Confederation were proclaimed in 1867, it is interesting to see how New Westminster watched the process play out far away across the continent. Local newspapers of the day reported on the events via telegraph communications.
Newspapers and periodicals from the eastern part of the continent were eagerly awaited as they arrived via deep sea ships. Travellers from back east were also eagerly sought out for their comments and observations.
Imagine heading down to the newspaper office on Columbia Street to see what news had come in. Imagine hurrying down to the wharf when a steamboat arrived from Victoria to meet a friend coming home from a meeting in Quebec or Ontario. And further imagine the excitement as the mail arrived after its long journey from San Francisco.
In one such article headed “British Columbia and Confederation,” the local reader was directed to another piece included in the newspaper issue in hand: “On our first page this morning will be found a very good article upon this subject, taken from the Pall Mall Gazette.” Still another article a week later commented: “The Canadian press is for the most part occupied just now with election matters, and a very warm canvass appears to be going on, especially in the province of Ontario, formerly Canada West.”
The New Westminster Historical Society this month, for Heritage Week, will look at the local press of 1867 and its coverage of Confederation as reported in this city. Also included will be some of the day-to-day local news stories, mixed with the ongoing political commentary of the day. It was an interesting time, to say the least.
The Wednesday, Feb. 15 presentation will start at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the New Westminster Public Library.
