Newfoundland was the last province to join Confederation. This glorious moment happened for Newfoundlanders on March 31, 1949. Thank you Canada! By Lard Tunderin Jesus, thank you Canada!

I was a child, part of the first generation to call themselves Canadian. Although much has been written about the adult significance of Confederation, I was merely a child, so my insight was skewed as a child’s appreciation of what was happening. I remember it was summertime. It was the time when we youngsters had complete freedom from the bondage of school.

Summertime for children was the holy season for outharbour juvenile delights. Out and gone from daylight to dark. However, for my friends and I, there were two serious drawbacks inhibiting our full appreciation.

One point of contention – I lived in a tiny outport fishing village that had few roads, and those we did have were mud roads full of potholes. Another point being that our time spent enjoying the delights was curtailed to the hours we had daylight. Once darkness started to descend, we were not allowed to go outside and play. Our parents concern, I quote: “you can’t see your hand in front of your face! Why, you might fall off a cliff and kill yourself. If I let you go outside in this dark and go get yourself killed, it’ll be no use to come crying to me!”

One week, when I was about seven years old, a paving and construction company pulled into town. They had their own work crew, but they also signed on some local men to work on their project. They had rakes and shovels and a black gooey substance. Its smell reminded me of what a witch’s cauldron might smell like. Also, wires and large hooks like globes were put in storage. The grandest piece of equipment was a tractor-like machine called a roller, or officially, a roller compactor.

We carried on with our usual play activities. Riding our bikes over the rocky terrain along the shoreline, constructing a bough camp out on the back hills, or playing ‘Turn Around Turn Around’ until someone got sick. Yes indeed, we were an enterprising group

Yet all the while we were watching these men busy at work. Of course, we could only watch from a distance, as we had already been warned by the crew, ‘look here, you can’t be hanging around! We have work to do. Stay away or we’ll tell your mothers!’

Then late one day the crew started to pack up and leave, and we headed in for our supper meal, which meant we would be confined within our domestic domains until morning. But after our meal, much to our surprise, all our parents informed us, ‘now go outside and play for a while.’ How could this be? Never one to question a good opportunity, all youngsters were out the door and out the gate before someone had a chance to change their minds. It was our time, the Zenith of our holy season!

We gathered on the old road, now transformed. We stood in sheer awe. We had pavement! One long, flat, beautiful surface! We had streetlights which gave such a glow! We could see! We could look around and see the whole neighbourhood! Play was no longer restrained by darkness! I remember the warm feeling I was experiencing on my inside. I glanced at my friends and knew they were experiencing the same feeling. This miracle had a name – it was Confederation. And it had been gifted to us children! This miracle opened up many opportunities for all sorts of play, both by day and by night.

I recall that first night. My friends and I spend the night just walking around on pavement. Later, we gathered around a streetlight pole and played a game of Hide and Seek. We played that game all night long. We played and marvelled at the magic glow of the streetlight. To this day, when I recall my childhood, I remember that unexplainable feeling we were all experiencing – a childhood view of the meaning of Confederation.

Judith Ann Keough
Stouffville ON