From my father’s mother’s side of the family, approximately 350 years ago, a river boat captain by the name Robert Paré, sailed alone from France to Canada. The main reason Paré came to Canada was for exploration and new opportunities that he did not have in France. With him, he brought salted meats that would last for weeks, and guns for his own safety. Paré risked leaving his culture behind him to discover this new world he was about to explore. When Paré arrived on the east shore of Canada, his immediate threats were diseases, Indians, his food supply, and the harsh winters. If it wasn’t for Paré, I wouldn’t have been here; My grandparents had met in Winnipeg just along the Red River when there was a flood in 1950. Cultural traditions we had were things like making red wine, romance, and a strong performance in academics. We have kept a long line of strong academic thinkers in our bloodline. I got to Port Coquitlam because of my mom and dad. My dad is originally from Ontario, but he moved to West Vancouver for more opportunities like Paré. My mom is from the Philippines and moved to Vancouver for the same reasons as my dad. As soon as I was born, we moved to Port Coquitlam, and my sister Kyra was born 4 years after me. We currently live in Coquitlam and we are continuing our family timeline every day.
My Family Timeline