On Friday, my family marked a significant anniversary. Fifty years ago—on May 26, 1973—my parents, two of my sisters, my grandmother and I immigrated to Canada from England. Today, I reflect on 50 years in Canada and ponder how different my life might have been if we hadn’t made the move.

Welcome to week 21 of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a sustainable living tip for the week. In addition to celebrating 50 years in Canada, this week’s edition features: World Turtle Day, the business impact of ESG, Schoolhouse Rock, and regifting tips.

The Sunday Spark – Week 21

On my mind this week: Celebrating 50 years in Canada

It’s hard to believe it has been 50 years! In An airline ticket to the future, I shared memories of that day in May 1973. Although I was not quite nine years old when we immigrated to Canada, my memories are still as vivid as ever. It was a milestone day that changed the course of my life.

I officially became a Canadian citizen in 1985. These days, I consider myself 100% Canadian. I’m married to a Canadian and have two Canadian daughters. While I’m proud of my British heritage, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

I often consider what a difficult decision it must have been for my parents to uproot us for a better life in a new country, especially considering my oldest sister chose to stay behind in England. And I often ponder how my life would be different if we hadn’t made the move. Would I have found my way to Canada on my own, married the same man, and had the same daughters? Or would I have stayed in Lancashire, found a nice English husband, and raised a family there? I suppose we’ll never know, but I firmly believe we always end up exactly where we’re meant to be.

So many things to love about my adopted homeland

Canada isn’t perfect. Like every country in the world, we have our dark history thanks to European settlers who imposed their way of life on the Indigenous peoples who had lived on this land for generations. And, like our neighbours to the south, our politics are becoming increasingly divisive.

But, as I shared in 10 things I love about Canada, there are so many wonderful things to love about our country. I’m a proud Canadian. Like all successful relationships, I choose to focus on the good and keep the bad in perspective.

As I gathered with family to raise a glass to toast 50 years in Canada, I look forward to the next 50 years…

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Three highlights of the week

Keeping the trend of celebrating big milestones and simple pleasures in life going, here are three highlights of the week gone by:

• Last weekend was a long weekend for us. We took advantage of the sunshine and our Grand River Conservation Authority membership and went for hikes at Conestogo Lake and Laurel Creek Conservation Area.
• Some of our neighbours put on an impressive fireworks display to celebrate Victoria Day.
• We’ve had a couple of frosty nights this week so I’m grateful I didn’t jump the gun on any early planting.

Three things I learned this week

Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:

May 23 was World Turtle Day

I love seeing the turtles sunning themselves on the rocks at our local pond, and I’m proud to support the work of the Pag-Asa Pawikan Protection and Conservation Center in the Philippines thanks to my blogging friends, Markus+Micah.

May 23 was World Turtle Day. This week I learned that, after surviving for 200 million years, 61% of turtles are now threatened or extinct thanks to human activity. (Source: EcoGreenLove)

ESG is good for business

Contrary to what some politicians and self-interested parties want you to believe, an extensive study of consumer behaviour from McKinsey and NielsenIQ confirms that ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) practices may be good for business and can lead to higher growth and profits. Products making ESG-related claims averaged 28% growth over a five-year period, compared to 20% for other products. (Source: McKinsey)

Schoolhouse Rock is on Disney+

Most Canadians and Americans my age watched Schoolhouse Rock when we were kids. These short educational segments that ran in between our favourite after-school television programs taught us science, math, grammar and more. There’s nothing like cartoons set to upbeat music to engrain things into your memory.

Last weekend, while browsing Disney+, I saw Schoolhouse Rock on the menu. What a wonderful surprise!

After watching a few of the videos, I can confirm that Conjunction Junction is still my favourite catchy Schoolhouse Rock tune.  

Sustainable living tip: Regifting rules

To round out May’s gift-giving theme, this week we’re looking at the ultimate sustainable gift-giving idea: regifting.

Once considered an etiquette faux pas, regifting is gaining favour among the eco-conscious. To learn more about when regifting makes sense and how to do it right, check out this post from my 2021 Blogmas series.  

I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.