The Maritimes | Canada East Coast Provinces Trip

In lieu of the Canada Day festivities until the start of the Indigenous Games, I traveled to the Maritimes and observed not only the impacts of the recent unprecedented wildfires, but also learned more about Canada’s history. The museums in these eastern provinces had bite-sized exhibits embodying culturally-sensitive, global issues. A poignant part of the trip was visiting a number of museums, including the Army Museum Halifax Citadel, and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Revisiting the stories from our history revealed not only our great innovations and human spirit, but also the deep flaws of our species and systemic issues.

In the Alexander Graham Bell museum of Cape Breton, I observed the accomplishments of multiple generations within a single family, which led to profound advancements in our society. After crossing the Confederation Bridge, a mighty engineering feat, I saw the historical buildings juxtaposed beside modern buildings and schools in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. In the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, I saw the increasing awareness of the repercussions of overfishing, and changes made to the equipment and process we use. In the Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre, I heard from the First Nations people about their exploration of new ways to preserve indigenous languages and thrive in today’s society. At the Garrison Grounds of the Halifax Citadel, I caught sight of children and families flying kites shaped in a variety of animals as part of the East Coast Kites Festival. These instances give me optimism and hope to what we can continue to learn to build on– to continue to collaborate with each other through shared resources, instead of finding ways towards destruction of each other and our natural resources.