Place Matters

Lewis raises questions about identity and the effects of ‘place’. Given we have just spent two weeks in BC (Port Moody and Rossland). It proved to be a very thought-provoking read.

Aside from the references to the familiar geography of the Annapolis Valley, the descriptions of BC mountain culture – skiing, climbing and cannabis culture seemed very accurate.

It is somewhat insightful to realize the difference between North Mountain/South Mountain life in the Annapolis Valley and the concept of mountain life in West Kootenay, BC.

The ‘mountain’ landscape of Nova Scotia is much easier for our generation than the mountain landscapes of British Columbia.

I found the most poignant short story to be #14, A Father’s Diary. It is a description of an avalanche accident in Revelstoke. Lewis quotes, Group of Seven painter, JEH MacDonald as an epitaph:

” He lived humbly but passionately with the wild. It made him brother to all untamed things of nature. It drew him apart and revealed itself wonderfully to him … and it took him to itself at last.” p.150.

This was epitaph to artist Tom Thompson, drowned accidentally in Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park, Ontario, even though he was an expert canoeist and swimmer.

Lewis uses the concept of identity in many different ways, however in all cases ‘the real question defining Canadian identity is not ‘who are we?’ but ‘where is here?’; from renowned Canadian thinker, Northrop Frye.

Acknowledgement

Heather shared the BC adventure. She is now reading, Identity Matters. Edward has just returned from Florida, arriving in a snow storm.

Reference
Roger C. Lewis, 2017, Identity Matters, Custom Books Publications

POSTSCRIPT

Anne Wedler’s plein air oil painting, “Achray” and Edward Wedler’s watercolour, “Achray Stone House” were created close to the sites of Tom Thomson’s paintings in the Algonquin Park (see their Footsteps East Map paint-out site 46).