History that still matters

While this film covers events which happened years ago, this story challenges us to examine very contemporary questions. For example: what obligations do we have today to recognize and honour the sacrifices of past generations? The Dresden tragedy has entirely disappeared from our modern landscape. If we had not found my father's documents, I would never have known about it. For the families of the men who died, the non-acknowledgement of their loss inflicts a second injury on them. It's quite simple: if we don't know the story, we can't honour the event.

There are other ways that this "old" story has contemporary significance. It invites us to reflect on our identity as a nation of immigrants, and what we know, if anything, of the journeys our ancestors took to become Canadians. Dresden 1957 tells the largely unknown story of Dutch post-war emigration to Canada. It's a much bigger story than I ever realized (and I'm half-Dutch). It's only one example, but ask yourself, "how many stories do I know about any of the immigrant groups that came to Canada?"

If we don't know anything about the past, how can we understand the present? The 1950's is the decade when the Canada we live in today was built. That includes everyday things, like the 401 highway, cultural icons, like the Stratford Festival Theatre, and less obvious things, like clean drinking water from our taps. In the 1950's, most Ontario towns and cities were running out of water; local aquifers couldn't keep up with growing populations and industry. So the Ontario Water Resources Commission was established, financing the construction of water infrastructure for hundreds of municipalities. And one of their first projects was in the little town of Dresden, Ontario ...

That brings us to one of the most important themes this film explores: the vulnerability of immigrant workers – an issue that is, sadly, as relevant today as it was then. In 1957 6 Dutch immigrants died in Dresden. In 1960, 5 Italian immigrants died at Hogg's Hollow in Toronto. And it's still happening. This week, a bridge collapsed in Baltimore, killing six immigrant workers. In 2009, Ontario's most recent major workplace tragedy, a swing stage collapsed on Christmas Eve, killing four recent immigrants.

This story matters because it's a part of our history, and the issues it explores are still issues today.