So, being a history buff, I first started to look at the men who guided Canada in the early years, the “Fathers of Confederation.”  Most prominent of those “Fathers” here in British Columbia was John Sebastian Helmcken (1824-1920) who played a prominent role in bringing B.C. into Confederation in 1871. He was also the founding president of the B.C. Medical Association. He married Cecilia Douglas, daughter of Sir James Douglas, in 1852 and after her death, became a loving single parent father to his children, despite a busy life as both a politician and a physician.

The enigmatic Amor de Cosmos (1825-1897) also played a major role as a founding member of the Confederation League and was one of the Fathers of Confederation from British Columbia as well as being premier of B.C. from 1872 to 1874.

John Robson (1824-1892), premier of the province from 1889-1892, was also a strong supporter of B.C. joining Confederation.  He died of blood poisoning nine days after catching his little finger in the door of a handsome cab in London, England. Interesting trivia!

The names of some of the other Fathers of Confederation across the country are equally well-known – Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir George Archibald, George Brown, Sir George Etienne Cartier, Thomas D’Arcy McGee and Sir Charles Tupper, to name but a few.  All were men of vision for Canada, but although many of them had children, we know little about their role as fathers.

One famous father in Victoria’s history, however, was also dubbed “The Father of British Columbia.”  He was, of course, Sir James Douglas, founder of the Fort in 1843. Of his 13 children, only six survived to adulthood, five daughters and one son.  All five daughters (Cecilia, Jane, Agnes, Alice and Martha) were shy and led somewhat sheltered lives controlled by their over-protective mother and their stern, overbearing father.  But Douglas also had a softer side concerning his daughters, which comes across in the numerous correspondence he had with them through the years.

Fathers today are far less strict and demanding than those Victorian fathers of long ago who took it upon themselves to dictate the futures of their off-spring and always assumed they would live up to what was expected of them. High expectations were the rule of thumb. In Douglas’ case, his demands were even stricter when dealing with his only son, James, whom he considered to be a big academic disappointment.

Few Victorian children rebelled against their father’s wishes.  Invariably, they simply towed the line. One example of a rebellion in the Douglas household came, however, when 17-year-old Alice impulsively eloped with Charles Good and the two were married by an American Justice of the Peace aboard the British schooner Explorer at Port Townsend.  Douglas was furious and would have preferred to have his daughter’s marriage annulled once they returned to Victoria. He realized, however, that the union had already been consummated, so he settled for making the couple undergo a second marriage ceremony to make sure things were legal.

Mayors are often referred to as “the City Fathers,” and the Church elders are called the “Church Fathers.”  In American history, we talk of the “Founding Fathers” who signed the declaration of independence, three of the most well-known being John Hancock, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

But what of our fathers today? Most do an admirable job under often trying circumstances, attempting in this busy world to give quality time to their children while at the same time making a living to support their families.  With the world’s new views on equality for men and women, many fathers also assist in household chores to lighten the burden for their working wives.

There is a custom on Father’s Day of wearing a red rose to honour your father if he is living, or a white one if he is deceased.  If you are lucky enough to be able to wear a red rose this year, wear it with pride, gratitude and love. My late father was a very special person who I miss so much. Nonetheless, I consider myself very fortunate to have had him in my life.