Grant
MacEwan and the Western
Canadian Mindscape
Notes
for remarks by Hon. David
Kilgour, M.P. Edmonton Southeast,
Secretary of State (Latin
America & Africa)
Association for Canadian
Studies in the United States
(ACSUS)-in-Canada Colloquium:
Western Mindscapes
Palliser Hotel, Calgary,
September 15, 2000
Welcome
to Canada and Western Canada!
As
a passionate Western Canadian
and Albertan, I am delighted
that ACSUS has chosen to
draw attention to this important
and distinct Canadian region.
One cannot understand Canada
without understanding our
"Western Mindscapes,"
and the not-always-easy
relationship we as Westerners
have with the rest of Canada.
Indeed
the "uneasy" nature
of Western Canada’s
relationship with the rest
of the country was something
that struck me profoundly
as I wrote my first of two
books on this theme in 1988:
Uneasy Patriots -
Western Canadians in Confederation.
How
many of you are well-informed
about Grant MacEwan, who
died in Calgary on June
15th at the age of 97? MacEwan
was one of the "uneasy
patriots" profiled
in my book. MacEwan was,
in my view, the most outstanding
Western Canadian of the
20th century. An opinion
poll not long ago indicated
that he was the best-loved
Albertan.
During
much of his life, MacEwan
contributed to our province
and was an inspiration to
all Albertans. He served
as lieutenant-governor,
mayor of Calgary, educator,
journalist, conservationist
and author of many books.
His Personal Creed, in which
he describes his reverence
for life and his relationship
with God, is an inspiration
to people of all faiths.
By understanding more about
this great man, you will
better understand the "spirit
of the West."
So
let me paraphrase some of
the points made by his son-in-law,
Dr. Max Foran at his funeral
– the first state funeral
held in this province in
37 years:
- He
was a friend to everyone
in Western Canada and
touched most communities
in Alberta.
- Late
in life he built a log
cabin with no nails and
no power saw.
- As
Lieutenant-Governor of
the province, he attended
three functions daily
for eight and a half years.
- His
frugality was legendary
and was born of an abhorrence
of excesses and extremes.
- He
did many of the things
that were essential in
shaping the Western Canadian
experience:
- He
homesteaded
- He
was a conservationist
- He
helped bring the community
to the farm
- In
his 50 books, he helped
build up the collective
identity of the region
- He
never raised his hands
in anger against a person
or animal
On
his death bed at the last
meeting, Foran told him:
"In many ways, you
were the best."
Grant
MacEwan’s life, to
me, is symbolic of what
is "the best"
about Western Canada –
the spiritual values of
its peoples, respect for
life and love of nature,
frugality, resourcefulness,
and most importantly, its
strong sense of community.
This
conference has examined
many themes toward understanding
the "Western Mindscape,"
and you will continue these
discoveries tomorrow. In
my view, there are few if
any whose lives are more
reflective of this Mindscape
than Grant MacEwan.
Best
wishes for a successful
colloquium, and thank you
to all of you for coming.
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