WordWorks / Spring 2015
Mossy trail near Sandspit on Haida Gwaii, photographed by Margo Hearne. More on page 13
Regional Pieces come together in WordWorks by Coco Aders Weremczuk, Regional Editor Look for a new standing feature in the next edition of WordWorks all about our regions, our homes. Better yet, why not send us a story that will give fellow members a sense of your world. We’re asking writers and poets from each Fed region to submit material showing how their physical and mental geography differs from others – what it is that makes the places we live unique. That’s what Regional Pieces will be all about. What is it that makes us so different from the rest of the world? As Canadians it might be our unique pronunciation of the English language or our famous politeness. To be Canadian is to be part of a mosaic, a mixture of cultures harmoniously living together enriching each other’s lives. If you go to Google Earth and hover over North America, much of Canada looks like a brooch, each of the provinces made up of different gems encrusted in a verdigris setting. Our beautiful British Columbia is the
emerald cut diamond on the western edge, rectangular in shape yet surrounded by many facets. Not interested in jewelry? How about wine? Connoisseurs refer to ‘terroir,’ the unique composition of soil, sand and rocks in areas roots reach into, sucking nutrients into the vine, and producing the character of grape unique to that specific ground. The humidity in the air and the water, whether fresh from a lake or rich with minerals from a well, also add to the wine’s final bouquet and flavour. Have you ever wondered about the symbolism in British Columbia’s coat of arms? The Union Jack reflects a colonial history – and reminds us by omission of the region’s First Peoples, who were for so long excluded from our official history. Our geographic location between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean is represented by the wavy
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