Learning from history in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan truly is "The Land of the Living Skies." The open fields, migrating Snow Geese (or "snowgies" as Emma thought they were called), and vast blue skies made a stunning backdrop as we travelled across this province. Yet another wonder to take in.

Our first stop was at the RCMP Heritage Museum.

It is impossible to walk through this museum and not swell with pride at the foundation of peacekeeping that this police force has been established upon, and continues to uphold. The RCMP was established during the fur trade to prevent the exploitation of Indigeneous Peoples and to maintain peace. This history is not without scars, and this became more obvious to our children as we learned more about the trial of Louis Riel, and as we continue to learn about the treatment of Canada's Indigenous populations over time.

Today the RCMP has expanded its areas of expertise and involvement in policing and boasts a police force whose training and scope is second to none. Cadets endure 6 months of intensive training at "Depot" in Saskatchewan, which is on the same grounds as the Museum. We watched a short video about the training which cadets receive in order to prepare them to survive hostile and unpredictable situations. As part of their training they endure pepper spray and tear gas simulations, sleep deprivation, homesickness, and mental, physical, and emotional training. If you meet or know a "Mountie," be proud to know they have undergone some of the most demanding police training in the world to maintain peace and protect all Canadian citizens.

We were welcomed in to Moose Jaw by "Mac the Moose," and we headed for "The tunnels of Moose Jaw" the next morning. If you are ever in Moose Jaw this is a "must do." The tunnels host two separate 50 minute interactive tours that fully immerse participants in a reenactment of a moment in the life of a Chinese immigrant in the late 1800's and early 1900's, or of Al Capone and the bootlegger industry in the 1920's.

The most moving and educational of the tours was the "Passage to Fortune." We learned so much about our history and treatment of Chinese Canadians, and were shocked that we hadn't really known much about it before. The treatment of Chinese Canadians during this part of our history is not something to be proud of, but to learn from and never forget. In order to get here, Chinese immigrants were the only immigrants who were required to pay a debilitating head tax. However, they did so in order to escape the desperate conditions in China and in the hope of finding a new fortune here. Upon arrival, they were met with racism and discrimination and forced underground (as in, under the streets) to find work in laundry factories and kitchens. They were abused by their "employers" who garnished their wages for rent in deplorable and over crowded conditions, and many were never able to repay the debt of their head tax which had been borrowed from what were essentially slave traders. If they risked emerging to the streets, they were treated even worse. There was so much pressure to stop the immigration of the Chinese, however the government was determined to build the railroad from coast to coast and Chinese laborers provided the perfect inexpensive and dispensable work force for this very dangerous work. It is many of these strong and courageous Canadians we have to thank for Canada's expansion and economic growth through the railroad, yet no Chinese were present in any photographs at the ceremony for the driving of the last spike for the railroad which they largely built. It wasn't until 2006 when most of these immigrants were dead or in their 90's that a formal apology was issued by the Canadian government.

Between these two museums, Saskatchewan has taught us a lot. What do you remember being surprised to learn about Canadian history that has either brought pride or disappointment? Let's learn from each other and keep history alive so we repeat the good and not the bad.