Learning from the past to be prepared for the future

BY JANIECE CAMPBELL

A little over 100 years ago, the entire world was in the midst of a severe crisis, similar to now.

It was the 1918 flu pandemic, one of the most catastrophic events in human history.

Appearing in three deadly waves from 1918 to 1920, what is commonly referred to as the Spanish flu infected 500 million people worldwide, equalling to one third of the world’s population during that time period. The death toll was estimated to be between 50 and 100 million and claimed the lives of somewhere between 2.5% and 5% of the global population.

In recent weeks, Defining Moments Canada has received considerable attention due to its extensive research on the 1918 flu pandemic, a project concluded in July 2019.

Defining Moments Canada is a digital commemoration organization founded by Neil Orford and Blake Heathcote in 2017. Appealing to both the cultural heritage and education markets, the website is an innovative way to teach and commemorate Canada’s prolonged history using digital tools and storytelling.

From being employed as a teacher to becoming president of the company, Neil Orford’s focus was always to educate and “tell untold stories from voices that have been underrepresented,” he says. “The joy of teaching was always finding ways to inspire the next generation to care about Canadian history.”

The site also offers online educational tools with digital lessons and curated research resources for teachers to assist students in understanding Canadian history.

Due to natural human curiosity in understanding what is currently happening worldwide, the user engagement on the website has skyrocketed. Many are trying to connect the dots between what occurred previously in 1918 and our present world.

Canada in particular was struck hard by the devastating 1918 influenza. The international pandemic killed approximately 55,000 people in Canada. Most of the victims were young adults between the ages of 20 and 40. According to Parks Canada, “inadequate quarantine measures, powerlessness against the illness, and a lack of coordinated efforts from health authorities led to unsurmountable chaos.” With health care professionals, nurses, and volunteers on the frontlines combatting a disease that spread like wildfire, it was a tale we all scarily know too well today. The pandemic was a significant event that began the evolution of public health care systems in Canada, resulting in the establishment of the Department of Health by the federal government in 1919.

“There are lessons that can be drawn and parallels that can be established. The best way to characterize what took place 102 years ago is that [Canadians] did the best with what we had. There are real stories of heroism, volunteerism and communitarianism that are being echoed today and should be celebrated by us,” Orford says.

Orford reminds us that this is a time of reflection for ourselves and society.

“Pandemics are a historical reality, they happen. There’s a tremendous amount of hubris that we’ve lived in our very entitled and privileged existences in the western world. It reminds us as a species that we are deeply intertwined and connected to our natural world. It reminds us that in this highly globalized world that we live in, how sensitive, alert and aware we have to be to things like global travel for example.”

So, what does this mean for our world at the moment? With daily news headlines looking bleak and uncertainty from our government, it feels as if returning back to ‘normal’ is a far-fetched reality.

“I think it will bring a heightened awareness to people about the lifestyles that we lead and the ways that we carry on our existence. It certainly did 100 years ago, and I have every reason to believe that it’s going to today.

Orford continues.

“Humans are humans and often times those lessons don’t last long, but one hopes they will. I have a personal hope that what we’re experiencing right now will give us a greater sensitivity to climate change, other issues facing the planet and humans as a species within that ecosystem.”