DOUGLAS — Opeongo High School’s Patrick Weller is planning for his future, by keeping an eye on Canada’s past.
The Grade 12 student has won two prestigious Government of Canada History Awards in the only two years he was eligible to compete in the essay contest.
“I like knowing where we came from,” Patrick said. “The lessons you learn from the past, can only help you in the future.”
The Government of Canada History Award was first presented in 2013 with the goal to connect youth to their history by honouring outstanding students and teachers who show an interest in celebrating Canadian history.
The awards are administered by Canada’s History, an independent national charitable organization whose mandate is to promote greater popular interest in Canadian History. The contest is open to students in Grades 10 and Grade 11 and winners receive $1,000.
Patrick just recently found out he won for his Grade 11 entry – an essay examining John A. MacDonald and Louis Riel’s roles as creators of Canada.
The award’s essay question was based on wondering if Riel and MacDonald had the right to be on a stamp as a builder of what Canada is.
Patrick felt they did.
“The Canadian identity is one of compromise and working together,” Patrick said. “That’s what John A. MacDonald did with the different parts of Canada to bring them together as one.”
Patrick said Louis Riel’s history was one of being a pioneer for human and equal rights.
“He was the first in Canada to focus on that,” Patrick said.
Patrick said he spent “lots of hours researching things and looking for websites that weren’t Wikipedia.”
His winning Grade 10 essay was also about John A. MacDonald in a response to what event in history is most indicative of the birth of Canada.
“He represented the spirit of compromise,” Patrick said. “I chose Confederation over the events at Vimy Ridge and the War of 1812 because MacDonald used compromise to bring Canada together and Confederation was one of the first times Canada did something outside of the British Commonwealth.”
Patrick says his fascination with Canadian history has more to do with his Opeongo history teacher John Pierce than with monetary prizes.
“Mr. Pierce is a great teacher,” Patrick said. “Just listening to him, the way he talks about Canada’s history, makes it so interesting.”
Patrick says the money will be part of his post-secondary school war chest. Next year Patrick hopes to be a history major, with a minor in humanities, at either Carleton or Queen’s university.
