Daniel Francis

Reading the National Narrative

Sesquicentennial Commemorated

Jul 19, 2021

To its credit the Vancouver Sun has signed up Steven Hume to write a series of historical articles to commemorate BC's sesquicentennial of Confederation.

Hume, who is one of BC's finest writers, began his account of the province's history last Saturday and it contines for the rest of the week. 

"And so in 1871, the fire bells rang — as much in relief as in joy — to signal the birth of a new province. Guns were discharged into the night sky — an echo of the traditional feu de joie adopted by the old fur trade to mark festive events. Strings of Chinese firecrackers snapped, pin wheels flared, light from Roman candles fountained through the dark, unpaved streets flanked by their wooden boardwalks, and skyrockets exploded overhead."

Look for it online as well as in the daily paper.

Meanwhile the provincial government has handed out $7.6 million in grant money to more than 220 cultural organizations to help them create legacy projects for the sesquicentennial.