Trinidad

                                               I Would Be….

I am truly blessed that my grandfather, Tyrone Gonsalves had emigrated to Canada October 13th 1962. If he hadn't , my life would be very different. I had very little knowledge on my family background previous to this project however, speaking to my grandfather who grew up in Trinidad helped me clarify why I am lucky to be Canadian today.

Life In Trinidad

As a kid, My grandfather said Trinidad was a fun place to live as all the children played soccer, cricket and everyone's favorite, marbles in the park . Although nobody had a lot, they all learned to appreciate the smaller things in life. Having 12 brothers and sisters it was hard for my great grandfather, Abel Gonsalves to support the family. They lived in a small skinny house with four tiny rooms. All the adults of the family slept in one room with bunk beds. The kids all slept in another room sharing beds. The kitchen and bathroom were located in the yard outside not containing a roof. This means their neighbors with 2 story houses could see them shower. My great grandfather worked day and night in a lumber yard for about 35 years. This was a pretty common job at the time. My great grandmother, Marie, stayed at home to watch the family. This resembled a pretty average family at the time in Trinidad due to the overwhelming poverty.  

One of the major differences between Trinidad and Canada was education. In the capital city, Port Of Spain, there was only 3 colleges and no universities. Children only had to attend 8 years of school in total (that's including kindergarten) before they could graduate and attend college. Since there was limited room at the colleges, most teens began working right after graduation which was around 16 years old. This is when they were considered adults in society. During the time my grandfather attended school in Trinidad, there were many job opportunities because the war had just finished. This was good for the economy and his immediate family because his older brothers/sisters could help with the income. Common jobs were ones at department stores, grocery stores, lumber yards or as clerks at insurance offices. There were many hard working people however, there was limited resources for them to live a life of good quality. Regarding health care, there was only one hospital located in the capital city, Port Of Spain. When someone was either sick or seriously injured, they would go to the same place to be treated.

What Life Would Have Been Like…

If my Grandfather had not emigrated to Canada, I would have a much harder life in Trinidad. For one, I would not be exposed to the same education I am here. There, it is not only shortened in time, but also very basic. I would be living in extreme poverty with high crime rates. I would have to work much harder to sustain a decent quality of life than I have to in Canada. Since there are limited resources regarding health care, I would probably need to learn at a very young age, essential tips to keep healthy. However, there would also be many positives to living in Trinidad. At my age now, I would be graduated school, considered an adult and soon beginning a career in one of the several jobs offered there. In Trinidad, teenagers are exposed to a more independent lifestyle much faster than they are here.For example, the legal age to purchase and consume alcohol is 18 years old. Because it is not a rich a country, I would be appreciating many of the smaller things in life. I would maybe own less but, I think I’d feel like I had more being surrounded by the beautiful landscape and creating much stronger relationships with the people around me.  

Living In Trinidad may not sound like a pampered lifestyle but, it builds character and I am proud to say that’s where my last name comes from.

Works Cited

Blackburn, Victor. “The General Hospital Port Of Spain.” Oct. 2007, www.miodragcolic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Zgrada-bolnice-u-glavnom-gradu-The-General-Hospital-Port-of-Spain.jpg.

Doodnath, Alina. “Vistabella presbyteran school.” 4 Nov. 2015, www.looptt.com/content/parents-protest-over-closed-vistabella-school.

Gonsalves, Tyrone. Interview. 30 Dec. 2016.

I Would Be...

I would be...

Chris Blaymires, my grandfather on my mothers side immigrated to Canada in the spring of 1959, although the specific date is unknown. They took the ship by the name Empress Britain ein and landed in Quebec as a midway point to their destination of Toronto, Canada, which they traveled to by train from Montreal. Once they arrived in Toronto, they stayed one night in the York Hotel, and the next day they traveled to live with their friends in Brampton until they could afford a place of their own. Since my grandfather was so young when they immigrated (6 years of age). and all of my other family members that were alive during the immigration, he is my only source of information and he does not remember everything. However, there were many known reasons for his family's immigration were plenty. My grandfather's brother, Robert Blaymires, scored low on what was called the "Elevenses Test", which severely limited his chances at having a successful career and future. Their parents Doris and William Blaymires, thought Robert would have a better education in Canada. Both of their parents also thought it would be better for their careers, and most of their friends and family members were moving to Canada, so they kind of jumped on the bandwagon

Registry for Empress Britain

Empress Britain

Education in England

If my Grandfather and his family never moved to Canada, my life wouldn't have changed very much. 

In terms of education, unlike Canada, there are four main parts of education; Primary, Secondary, Further and Higher education. Unlike Canada, Primary and Secondary education are both mandatory, whereas in Canada, one you have reached the age of 16 you can legally opt to drop out of Secondary education. After Secondary education, students in England can choose to continue on to Further education, and only after completing that do they have the option of going to Higher education. Primary education is the equivalent to Elementary schooling in Canada, Secondary is similar to High School, Further education is where students go to get their A-levels,  BTEC's or go to college or university. Higher education is high level Colleges and Universities. The average cost for a three year cost for further and higher education is approximately £26,000, which converts to approximately $36,700 Canadian.

Entering the Workforce Today

In England today, the unemployment rate for all ages is just under 26%, and the unemployment rate for people aged 15-24 is lower, at 17%. This is much higher than in Canada, where we have an unemployment rate of only 6.9%. This would mean it would be much more difficult for me to find a job, whether it be part time, full time, or a long term career. I would definitely need to work a part time or full time job in order to pay for my education, as the max loan in England is £6,000 but the price per year for tuition is about £9,000.

Overall, I wouldn't mind living in England, however I believe my quality of life is better in Canada, and I am glad my great grandparents decided to live here.

I would be... Tyler

During this project, I was tasked to research my heritage and find out what my life would be like if my relatives never moved to Ontario. Before I started this project I had a small idea of where I came from as all I knew was that I was part Filipino with a Chinese bloodline on my mother's side. As for my biological father's side, my grandmother was adopted and thus I’ll probably never know what the other half of my heritage. In thinking about this project I decided to look into my adoptive father’s heritage since my grandmother was in the Philippines and I didn't have the chance to talk to her. In looking into my adoptive heritage I ended up interviewing my grandmother and asking her about her heritage, “[Her] grandparents were french and the other was welsh. [Her] welsh grandfather came from wales, he was a sea captain. [Her] french grandfather was a fisherman in Rustico that's how he made his living.” she also told me that, “[she] was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward island on November 3, 1945.”

 (My great great grandmother and grandfather [welsh side])

During the interview, I asked my grandmother what Charlottetown was like growing up and about the town her french grandfather lived in called north Rustico. She told me that “when [she] grew up there, the neighborhoods that were very very tight, as if they were connected, you would meet people everyday, like it was a very tight-knit community, people watched out for each other and some of the same struggles that the youth have today are the same struggles that [she] had growing up, finding out where you fit in and searching for what your main purpose in life is.” I was also told that “surprisingly enough there was some bullying but not as much as today.” and that “the average family size was large, as the majority of the population that was roman catholic.” I asked her about how the economy was like in Charlottetown and learned that “people depend on tourism mainly in the summer months, that's what supports the biggest part of their economy. There wasn't much industry back then, the only jobs were in the main town, my dad worked as a ship chandlers, the employment was mainly based on fishing and tourism.”

(my grandmother [far left] great grandfather, her sister, and my great grandmother)

I later asked her about why she moved to Ontario, she told me “I moved down during the Vietnam war sometime in 1964. During which I met many young men not much older than you moving to escape the Vietnam war, there were like conscientious objectors, they didn't want to go and they didn't feel it was their war to fight, they were also very scared as lots of their friends were being sent off to war and getting killed. I felt very bad for them as I could feel their fear.” and that “at the time prince Edward island was a very small contained island, we were very much on our own, there wasn't much communication yet and we didn't have the bridge to connect us to the rest of Canada yet. I always wanted to see what was beyond us, and I had relatives that came from Boston to visit, and I was very intrigued by the stories that they told, it made me want to see more and experience more.”
When I asked her about what it was like after she moved she said “I was about 19 and a half, I was very naive I didn't know how I survived, I did survive and met a lot of nice people and a lot of people who were… shady. I mean it was a big city and I was just a small town girl, but I did learn that there were a lot of nice people in Toronto. We didn't have social media so we didn't know what we're all the goings on so moving from a small town you would just trust people, it was a bit of a culture shock at the beginning. But Maritimers were known for their willingness to adapt, and although at times I was very homesick I knew this was going to be my home for a long long time.”
Afterward, I asked about what her education was when she moved and she told me “high school, then I studied nursing after working in the hospital as an aid, and as I worked I did some nursing tasks after which I pursued the profession. Afterward, I took the exams and classes to get my certification. That's when I met and embraced people working in the hospital from all different countries forming long friendships over the years.” she also told me that “I met your grandfather on the telephone when I was living in residence. he phoned looking for a friend also living in residence, and somehow he inquired from his friend who I was and she introduced us. We married in January 1970, and your dad was born 5 years later.”
After learning about my adoptive heritage I learned that if I was a 16-year-old living in Charlottetown I would be in a Christian school still taking most of the same courses. Although they most likely have McDonald's in Charlottetown I would probably be working on a farm, fishing boat or a tourist trap as those are the main sources of their economy.

Works Cited

Charlottetown map. Google, www.google.ca/search?q=map+of+charlottetown&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=qvB8WPblMuHZjwS3vZ-QBw.

Hughes, Evelyn. Interview. 15 Jan. 2017.

The country I am mostly connected to is Chile. My mom and grandma are both Chilean which makes me half Chilean. For this assignment, I decided to interview my grandmother to learn why she immigrated to Canada and what her life was like in Chile. I’ve learned that my life in Chile would be similar to my life now in Canada, with only a few changes.

According to my grandma, “schools were very strict, you had to wear uniforms, you were not allowed to wear any makeup, or have anything in your hair, and if you disobeyed those rules, you would get sent home or hit with a ruler.” She dropped out of school in grade 6 and got a job working for a private company to help out her family, as her mom was a single mother with 8 kids. Her mom couldn’t afford to pay for high school, therefore she never got a high school diploma. I learned that, although health care was poor, it was free for everyone. It didn’t cost anyone anything for medicine, operations, or to see a doctor. My grandma, then, told me that “back then, like many places, people born with disabilities were often hidden from the public because their families were either ashamed or afraid of judgement.” She also said the same about homosexuals. These problems, like discrimination, were issues in Chile back in the 1960-70’s, and still continue today. Some other rights include respect for political rights, civil rights and labor rights. She said they had a lot of political problems when they lived there. When the government took over, they would get a card and would have to wait in line for rations because there would be no food in any stores. She said they couldn’t go outside after 6:00p.m and weren’t allowed to walk around in groups of more than 3 people. I discovered that Chile is much different now as it was about 50 years ago, as the rules and living has changed. Lastly, she said she enjoyed her life in Chile but even if there were no problems, she was still going to immigrate to Canada.

                                                

My grandpa came to Canada in 1972 for 6 months. His brother would tell him how much he enjoyed his life in Canada. He returned to Chile and he and my grandma applied to become a Canadian immigrant and got access to a visa. My grandpa moved to Mississauga in 1974, got an apartment and started working. Two months later, my grandma came with my mom and uncle. Once my grandma immigrated, she “had to take an English class for 6 months.” She said “it was extremely hard, but learned it quick.” I discovered that the main reason my grandma immigrated was for a better life. My grandpa had seen the living here and liked it. She said Canada was a better and safer place. So, overall, she chose to immigrate because she wanted a better life for herself and her family.

After research and an interview with my cousin in Chile, I learned that my life would be similar there as it is here. I learned that in Chile, girls that are 16 are not allowed to work unless they have parental consent because it is their responsibility to study for school, meaning that society is strict about education because they don’t want anything to interfere with their work. They are allowed to start working once they turn 18. My cousin said, “education is good in Chile and the teachers are still very strict as they were back then and schools you pay for tend to be much better.” I found out that their health care is still poor. The hospitals are old and some collapse. It is free until you turn 18 and then you get 5-10% deducted off your monthly salary. Some of their rights and freedoms include having a house to live in, clothes and food, they must all have an education and health care, and respect for the elderly. Lastly, I learned that racism and discrimination is still an ongoing issue today in Chile. Overall, I discovered that living in Chile today as a young person would be very similar to living in Canada.

So, I have discovered that if my ancestors did not immigrate, my life would not be much different in Chile as it would be here. I would value education and healthcare as a teenager in Chile. Overall, my life would be similar in Chile, with just a few changes.

Works Cited

Araya, Isabel. Interview. 7 Jan. 2016.

Ignacia. Instant messenger interview. 3 Jan. 2016.

Our Students from Chile. www.afsusa.org/host-family/countries/chile/. Accessed 3 Jan. 2016.

I would be..

    Life in Scotland

If my great ancestors from the seventeen hundreds had not decided to immigrate to Canada from Scotland, my life would be very different to my life in Canada. I will be focusing on my father's side of the family (The Hughson’s side). I will also explain how my life would be different if they had not decided to immigrate to Canada and stayed in Scotland.

In the late 1700’s my ancestors lived in a small village called Drimindarach Scotland. They chose to leave Scotland in 1790 and come to Canada. The ship that they took was named “The Lucy” and it traveled from Drimindarach Scotland to P.E.I Canada. They were farmers in Scotland and during this time period Scotland's economy was very unstable. Famine was relatively common. It was very hard for farmers to make a profit because the economy prices skyrocketed faster than they ever had in history. When they arrived in Canada they traveled inland towards Montreal and stayed in Montreal for a few years. There were so many people in Montrealthere were few job opportunities. A man by the name of Nathaniel Hughson decided to travel farther inland looking for employment. He ended up in Hamilton Ontario. He was very successful, He was a farm owner and also a hotel owner. He was so successful that hamilton named a street after him called “Hughson St”. It is still there in downtown Hamilton. One son of Nathaniel's named  Abraham Hughson moved a little farther north and started selling land to farmers. This land is now called Orangeville Ontario. Abraham was the man who sold the land to Orange Lawrence, and he turned Orangeville into a village by building a mill. My family has remained in Orangeville since then. We have a deep history in Orangeville because we have been here for almost 200 years.

Other than the fact that if my Ancestors had not immigrated to Canada I would not have been born because my parents never would have met. My life would be very much the same as it is in Canada. In scotland students go to primary school from age 4-5 to age 11-12. In scotland primary school is only 7 years then you go off to to secondary school for four years. There is a optional 2 more years that you can go to secondary school for but you are not required to complete those two years. There are only 15 universities and 3 institutions in Scotland because there is not that many universities they are much harder to get into. Therefor my education level in Scotland would be much higher than in Canada if I was able to get into a university. The economy in Scotland is very strong the average salary is 27 710 euros which is about 1000 dollars higher than the rest of the United Kingdom. This is equivalent to Canada right now but the economy is growing much faster than Canada’s therefor long term I would have a better chance of becoming more wealthy in Scotland than in Canada. Health care in Scotland is similar to Canada’s healthcare system. If you are a permanent resident of Scotland health care is provided free to you. If I were to live in Scotland I would still be healthy and if anything were to happen to me I would not have to pay for it.

In conclusion I feel that my life would be very similar if my family stayed in Scotland because, of the many similarities between the two countries like their economies and health care.

This is a image from the family cemetery in Amaranth Ontario. The oldest grave dates back to 1837.

Works Cited

"Health Care." Scotland, 1 Jan. 2014, www.aboutscotland.in/living-in-scotland/moving-to-scotland/healthcare.

"Hughson's surname." House of Names, www.houseofnames.com/hughson-family-crest.

"Hughson street." Wikipedia, 2007, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughson_Street_(Hamilton,_Ontario).

Kilgore, Gail, Mr. "Gunnison County." roots web, 1 Jan. 1999, istg.rootsweb.com/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2009.

"Scottish education system." The school run, 1 Jan. 2017, www.theschoolrun.com/overview-scottish-education-system.

Though I have a large family and many ancestors who immigrated from different countries, the country I am related too is Scotland. My 8 times great grandfather came directly to Canada and him and his wife were both from Scotland. I never knew this information about why my family had originally come to Canada so after having an interview with my Grandma and reading the book that was published about my family, I was quite shocked at how much I was not aware of in my family history. Overall, I found out where my family originally came and my life would be quite close to how it is now and there would be a few more benefits if I lived there now.

After talking with my Grandma, I found out that my 8 times great grandfather named David McKay along with his Wife, Agnes Wardrop came over from Scotland approximately around time of The War of 1812, or shortly after. There reasoning for coming to Canada was because at the time the British government felt that Canada needed a secondary defensive line to help combat any vulnerable attacks that Americans may have.

Emigration from Scotland and England seemed like the only solution to help solve the issue

with the depressed and overpopulated areas. A proclamation was made up between England

and Canada to help provide for the families and help them get settled. My 8th Grandparents came over under the agreements that were made and settled in Perth, near Ottawa. Provided below is a picture of people who immigrated to Canada. David & Agnes located in the center.

Although I cannot personally talk to my 8th grandparents, I did talk to my Grandma and I asked her how life would be different if they chose not to immigrate to Canada. Even though it was hard to think of their answer, we thought that their life had been better in Canada rather than Scotland because at the time, Canada had more to offer, better for their upcoming family and provide them with land and utilities to make a better life for themselves.

After talking to my Grandma and learning more about the life they lived in Scotland, I was looking to see what my life would have been like if my family would have stayed there and I would have grown up there. If I lived there now I would still be able to play sports as they offer many different activities to keep people active, they offer many jobs and careers as well as extra hours of sunlight in the summer so even though you work you can still enjoy some of the favourite activities that Scotland has to offer such as the beaches, walking through the hills or the number one favourite the sea, right by your doorstep. Scotland has very good benefits and taxes by providing people with maternity leave, paid sick days, and child benefits. They also offer many great vacation destinations so all your hard work is rewarded by a certain amount of paid vacation time from your job to enjoy all Scotland has to offer!

After looking through my research on Scotland I also found that living in this country is fairly cheap and the farther away from the country you are the cheaper it gets, which is good considering my family lives in the country now. Scotland has a great schooling including being the first country to have both boys and girls graduate university! They provide schooling to everyone and accommodate your specific learning needs. A good free health care such as doctor appointments and hospital visits and excellent way of transportation throughout the country. They offer great safety and is a supportive of place for families to live and especially to raise your family on a great income job and reasonable pricing.

Overall, I have researched and learned more about my family history, If i was a teenager living in Scotland in the current day I would constantly be appreciating the free healthcare, the fantastic employment opportunities and the great schooling programs they offer to help me further my education. Even though it feels like a great life to accommodate everything, I am still thankful that my 8th grandparents moved to Canada back in 1812 because if they did not I would not be where I am today and been able to be living and enjoying the life I have in Canada.

My Heritage - Ukraine

My Heritage

        For this project, I did not have to choose one side of my family over the other for the research because both sides are entirely Ukrainian. For those of you who do not know, Ukraine is the largest country in Europe, with a population of over 45 million, which is ten more million than Canada's population. It is located in the Eastern Europe, bordering with Russia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova and Belarus. The Ukrainian flag is easily recognisable as it consists of two equal horizontal  stripes, blue on the top and yellow on the bottom.  

(Color Madness)

(Ukrainian Flag)

These colours were chosen to symbolise the blue skies and wheat fields, as Ukraine used to be one of the major wheat producing regions in Europe. It is a much older country than Canada with much history. Prior to becoming a country, Ukraine was known as the Kievan Rus, founded in 882 AD, since then many countries tried to conquer Ukraine. Hence it always belonged to different countries and unable to earn its total independence until 1991 when the Soviet Union fell apart. Officially, Ukraine went from being a socialist republic to a democratic country, however, in reality,  even today Ukraine is not a truly democratic country because of the deep roots of socialist ways the Soviet Union planted.

        Canada compared to Ukraine has a much better quality of life which is one of the main reasons my parents moved to Canada. Unlike in Ukraine, Canada isn’t a democratic country only on paper, but in reality as well. In Canada, laws are actually in power and are followed by the society, whereas in Ukraine, with the right amount of money you can buy yourself out of any situation or trouble that you get into. Despite the corruption, a large population of Ukrainian people, especially the students and young adults are fighting for change, an example of which would be the Euromaidan revolution which happened in 2014. 

The revolution was sparked by the actions of Ukraine's former president, Viktor Yanukovych, who announced his intention to sign the association agreement with the European Union but ultimately refused to do so at the last minute. While the people were protesting on the Maidan, Yanukovych signed a treaty and multibillion-dollar loan with Russia, which brought the revolution to a whole new level with a series of violent events involving protesters, riot police, and unknown shooters. As tensions rose, Yanukovych fled to Russia and did not return. Meanwhile, Russia invaded Ukraine and occupied Crimea, and since then Ukrainian soldiers die every day to protect my motherland. Since neither I, my family or other Ukrainian-Canadians were there during the revolution, we helped out from here by gathering supplies and raising money.  

(Fundraiser)

Although now there is movement and change going on in Ukraine, it wasn't like that in 2006 when my parents decided to immigrate to Canada. Back then Ukraine was still a country which endured years of corruption, mismanagement and lack of economic growth, which is why my parents felt the need to immigrate to a country with a better future for me. Vancouver was the city they first migrated to, because of a job offer.  

(Vancouver)

However later, in about 2 months they moved to Toronto, to my mom's friend from Ukraine. I immigrated 3 years later, at the age of 9, and had a surprise waiting for me. A 4-month-old baby sister, whom I was excited about at first, however now she's a huge pain.

       If I hadn't moved to Canada, my life would be pretty different. Below is a picture of a Cheater from the city I’m from, the city Lviv. 

(Ukrainian Theater)

In Ukraine, there are 11 grades of school instead of 12, and you don't get to choose your courses. There are no school buses, and a school holds kids since grade I to grade 11. After grade 9 you can opt to apply to a college, or you can study two additional years if you want to apply to a university. Since I'm applying to a university, I would be in grade 11, my final year, studying 20 classes, with 7 classes a day instead of 4. I would be studying Ukrainian language (2h/week), Ukrainian literature (2h/week), English (3h/week), World Literature (2h/week), History of Ukraine (1.5h/week), World History (1h/week), Economics (1h/week), Social Studies (0.5h/week), Art culture (0.5h/week), Algebra (3h/week), Geometry (2h/week), Astronomy (0.5h/week), Biology (1.5h/week), Ecology (0.5h/week), Physics (3h/week), Chemistry (2h/week), Computer Technology (2h/week),  General Technology (1h/week), Gym (2h/week), Military (1h/week)(girls learn first-aid, and guys learn combat). Below is a picture of my report card and honour roll from grade 3.

(Grade 3 Honour Roll)

(Grade 3 Report Card)

I would only have to write exams two years, once in grade 9 and another time in grade 11. There are only 3 mandatory exams, Ukrainian language, math or history, depending what you want and the third one is a personal choice. The exams count as final summative to your term mark as well an entrance into a university. Since for some programs you need to show more than just 3 marks to be accepted into a university, you have the option of writing 2 more exams which will not count toward your school mark. Employment is a problem in Ukraine as the education system allows many students graduate with a high degree, and there are just not enough of jobs to go around. Many people end up working at a lower class job that what they studied for. Like in Canada health care is also free in Ukraine. However, family doctors can come home to you if you are sick, so you don't have to waste time sitting at clinics or hospitals waiting for your turn. Overall I am glad that I live in Canada and don't have to experience what my life would be like in Ukraine right now. Could you imagine having 20 classes instead of 8.

Works Cited

Color Madness. 5 Sept. 2014. Gbtimes, Natalia Mihailova. Accessed 14 Jan. 2017.

Fundraiser. 2016.

Grade 3 Honour Roll. 2009

Grade 3 Report Card. 2009.

"Ukrainian Flag." Country Flags. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.

Ukrainian Theater. Ukraine Travel Blog. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.

Vancouver. 2006.