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An introduction to celebrating Canada's 150 years

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the first of a running series of columns in which Sonja Herter (Korol) will be detailing the history of Canada in light of the country’s 150 th anniversary in 2017.
Sonja Herter (Korol)

            (EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the first of a running series of columns in which Sonja Herter (Korol) will be detailing the history of Canada in light of the country’s 150th anniversary in 2017.)

            Going back into the history of the area which became known as Canada, over 65 million years ago, dinosaurs lived in the forests and seas of the land. The cause of their extinction is not fully known, but evidence of their existence is found in excavations across the country. Closer to my home, Drumheller, Alta. and Eastend, Sask. have museums of skeletons of these prehistoric animals and birds. There are others located at other places as well as the Calgary Zoo.

            The last of the dinosaurs disappeared over 65 million years ago. Then the Ice Age entered and much of what we know as Canada was covered with ice. Ice mammoths lived during that period of time and many species exist in the northern regions to this present time.

            Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic still have ice remnants and glaciers from over 11,500 years ago. The melting of the ice shaped the fjords, ravines, gorges, river beds and unexplained rocks deposited in unusual places. It is believed the first inhabitants to come to North America crossed the bridge of land from Siberia to the New World after the Ice Age.

            Then North American exploration entered the picture with Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer, forming a colony in Vinland in coastal Newfoundland around the year 1000. This did not prove to be successful and was abandoned.

            Other sites of the Viking settlements are being found and studied in the archaeological digs. Close to 500 years passed before further exploration was done in the New World. Some settlements of original natives were scattered in different areas.

              Christopher Columbus, from Spain, came in 1492 followed by several explorations by him looking for wealth in spices, pearls, gold and other riches.

            John Cabot came from England in 1497 and explored the St. Lawrence region. He was actually looking for a shorter route to Asia when he came, claiming this new land under the British flag with King Henry VII as the ruler.