Keeping History Alive

A pioneering spirit moves through the generations at the annual Zurbrigg family reunion, dating back to 1925.

- Peter Wyatt, Burk’s Falls, Ont.

I am an avid reader with aparticular interest in writings about Canada. One of the most arresting and controversial descriptions of our nation that I’ve ever come across was penned by Pico Iyer, a writer of British-Indian descent who once described Canada as “a nation of beautiful mongrels.” Admittedly, it is dicult to get past the perception of “mongrel” being a slur; however, given that the “crossing of dierent breeds or types” is central to its definition, I believe the term highlights a worthy truth about us. With more and more people checking into their ancestry via websites, DNA testing or the time-honoured tradition of traipsing around cemeteries, it’s more apparent than ever that we are all mongrels in some shape or form. The immigrant mix that shapes me includes the English-Scots-Irish triad, as well as Dutch, German and Swiss roots. In the case of my grandchildren, Chinese and Japanese elements are enriching the mix. This past June, as we do every year, several score of cousins and I gathered to celebrate the immigrant family from Switzerland that helps make us the beautiful mongrels we are.