To the Expositor:
I may not have been born on the Island, and so I may not be a “Haw Girl” by definition, but having been raised here, I do identify with the term all the same. With that upbringing came lessons from some of the best teachers this country has to offer, lessons about respecting our environment and all living things. With urban expansion increasing by the minute, it is even more relevant now that our green spaces are preserved.
I think I speak for the majority of my fellow Island ladies when I say that real “Haw Girls” don’t vandalize the Cup and Saucer trail, and certainly do not take pride in leaving a mess for others to clean up! As a child on the Island, I was taught to respect not only the beautiful land that that we have borrowed from our children, but also to respect my community and fellow human beings in the here and now. This means allowing everyone the same access to unspoiled nature that we have had ourselves. This thanksgiving, I was disheartened to see such a disregard for life and nature be associated with a term that many here use to describe themselves with pride. I hope that one day these particular “Haw Girls” will understand the real meaning of the term, as well as everyone else responsible for the destruction of this local treasure.
Jessica Olmstead, B.A. Anthropology Gore Bay and Guelph
