What makes someone stay in one place? This is a question that occurred to me as I approached the end of “Vanderhoof, the Town that Wouldn’t Wait”, a compilation of Vanderhoof’s history up until 1979.
Throughout the book were tales of how everyone — well, almost everyone — came to settle in the area that was later name Vanderhoof, after Mr. “of the farm”.
There were those who were attracted by promotional posters sent to Europe that promised great land and opportunities. Others coming from as far east as Ontario and as far south as the United States for job placements, as Vanderhoof started to develop. Still others came through on the way for gold and stayed.
Now, though homesteading may be no more, natural resources still draw a lot of workers to the area. Before, people may be less mobile, with transportation costs so high in terms of both time and money, but now with cars and highways, what used to be an arduous journey through bumpy road that were accessible only in certain seasons are now a mere drive away.
But, though technology may change, our emotional ties to families remain timeless and oftentimes, may be the strongest factor in either keeping us in place or drive us back to where we come from.
Perhaps the pool may help...