Well… that didn’t go as expected! November was a very intense month. I had two trips to the hospital, myself, as well as a call to poison control—that poison control story is one for another time with further context (was it ever scary). On top of those personal health issues, my sister and aunt have also been in and out of the hospital, but with far more frequency. My family has really had to lean on each other over the last four weeks as we navigate each individual plan for healthiness. It has been a real blessing to have community around me during this time. My partner, Faune, has been holding such safe and comforting space for me.
She joined me at the City of Maple Ridge’s Remembrance Day gathering in Memorial Peace Park this month. It was a well-attended event, but we both noticed the change in demographics as compared to city events we attended previously such as Our Neck of the Woods and Celebrate the Night. I noticed this crowd being much older than the other crowds and also much whiter. I can only begin to guess as I know my perspective is limited, but I can’t help but feel that current world events kept this from being as diverse as events gone by in the city. I, for one, know that this Remembrance Day had me deeply thinking about the Remembrance Day events of my childhood. Back then there was a presence of WWII Veterans and an opportunity to learn from and hold space for those who stood up against the face of oppression and racial supremacy. It’s hard to think of what those conversations would look like today, I couldn’t get my mind off of present-tense harm the world is simply watching happen.
As my mind refocussed on my surroundings, I considered that maybe the crowd represented those who had family members who fought in wars gone by. If that is the case, it doesn’t explain the lack of BIPOC and Queer attendance though. That was when I had my moment of creative inspiration. I decided that for next Remembrance Day, I will work on a research project which highlights the faces of Indigenous Veterans… but then what about the Black and Asian experiences in Canada during WWII? What roles were there for disabled people in WWII in Canada? Clearly it was still an unsafe time for the queer community—how were times of war navigated for that demographic?
Clearly I have some research ahead of me. I am so lucky that this residency gives me the opportunity and platform to do so. I am very grateful for the organizational efforts of the City of Maple Ridge once again. It was a very important day for community to not only gather, but do some deep thinking and reflecting. Thanks again to them for propelling future work which will further contextualize the Remembrance Day experience through new perspectives and angles for me and my community. I look forward to sharing where my research adventures take me next year!