By Peter Christensen

Op-Ed Commentary

Last week my partner and I journeyed to Vancouver for medical appointments. We drove to Cranbrook airport, did the obligatory check in and an hour later were circling above the Frazer River delta cities and Vancouver Airport. A friend met us at the terminal, drove us to Horseshoe Bay where he put us up, cooked for us, and then arranged his day to drop us downtown each morning where we made the rounds at VGH and St. Paul’s Hospital.

A conglomerate of languages were spoken on the streets, there were people in different styles of dress obviously from many different countries and cultures. While looking for a seat inside one of the crowded interior foyers a young women wearing hijab covering her head and shoulders, offered me a place with her.  What amazing positive energy! People were so friendly. Everyone hurried on their personal journeys yet gave way making room for us.

At the end of the day, we found ourselves standing in front of the old Hudson’s Bay building at 700 West Georgia waiting for the 257 Express bus to Horseshoe Bay.  That was an eyeopener! We needed coin for the bus and asked a woman where to get change; she insisted on giving us four toonies for $5.

By accident or fate we are born into a culture that in today’s fast pace through proximity imitates, copies and reassembles itself into an ever changing phenomenon. In the past it was considered important to protect a culture by preserving bloodlines. Endogamy, the custom of marrying only within a local community, clan or tribe was encouraged however over time cultures that protected their bloodlines had less success. This custom became a dragon eating its tail.

It is worth remembering that our human exploratory spirit drives integration, first by sharing stories and then through friendship. Humans cling to their stories because it gives them security and a feeling of belonging; however, to thrive in today’s communication driven world we must grip and understand an ever-present element of contemporary culture: change and adaptation.

I felt this change while living on the North Coast. There were people from many different backgrounds living there and a very strong indigenous presence. Though people were fully aware of their heritage the bigotry and fear that was on the surface too often in our past was missing.

Some people argue that it is best to believe in determined myths, that only by allegiance to specific stories can we find faith, trust, community and protection. But the Vancouver experience does not support this notion. Many different languages are heard on the street, different costumes are worn; there is a feeling of safety and belonging to one territory.

Let’s enlarge our territory by downplaying the current media blasts that promote sovereignties. Recognize that agitators employ political capital to encourage misunderstanding and distrust. They try to convince us that we are ‘polarized’, they run discourse to turn us against each other. Reject this! We are people from different backgrounds finding pathways to common ground through open discussion. Sometimes we will disagree. However, we are on a mutual journey; our tradition is tolerance and democratic decision making.

While in Vancouver, though ‘we’ looked different, spoke different languages and wore different costumes I did not experience the ‘polarization’ that is so openly advocated by politicos. I met people tending a common and desired culture: democracy, openness to help others, a feeling of being secure in public spaces, transportation systems to take one to any part of the city, courtesy on the roads, neighbourhood amenities that I could access without looking over my shoulder, no omnipresent police: tolerance.

I would not say that downtown Vancouver was obsessed with Christmas, a tradition associated with gift giving. There were signs of celebration and marketing, however, the biggest gift of all was people’s friendship and willingness to help what I suppose looked like couple of country mice trying to find their way around.

e-KNOW file photo

Peter Christensen is a Columbia Valley based writer and poet.

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