Pat McDonald webmaster
per pjmac@telusplanet.net
Article Appeared in the Red Deer
Advocate 2008- by Author Annette Gray
If you are interested in Alberta’s distant past,
say the fur trade, the Voyageurs, David Thompson, Father Lacombe or the history of the First Nations ,Pat McDonald is the man "in the know."
Pat, a
resident of Rocky Mountain House, is well versed in Canadian history, and his
popular website, www.davidthompsonthings.com
is proof positive, having logged over 130 thousand visitors from 118 countries.
He and
his wife, Joan, live a stone’s throw from the a river which inspired Pat to write Where
the River Brought Them. Published in 2002, Pat’s book is the
official bicentennial history of Rocky Mountain House. The book begins by
introducing the famous explorer and his wife, David Thompson and Charlotte
Small, and takes the reader to present day activities along the north Saskatchewan.
No doubt
about it, Pat McDonald knows his history! That being the case, it can also be
said that Pat's own life-story is every bit as interesting as the characters he
writes about.
Pat grew
up in Halifax near Preston and Hammonds Plains and , when he was a
lad, these two communities were inhabited predominantly by black Canadians.
These people were descendants of the underground railway during the United
States Civil war. These were the traumatic days of the black revolution soon to
be led by Martin Luther King, and Pat distinctly remembers the social unrest
the revolution generated in these communities especially in one community
called Africaville in the North of Halifax..
“ Pat says as he recalls how rudely many of these black friends and workers were treated. It seemed
Pat had ample opportunity to observe the plight of his colored
neighbors since his father, Tom McDonald, was
the foreman of a concrete crew comprised mainly of blacks.
“My
father quietly, but defiantly, hired mainly black men because they were good, multi-skilled
workers,” says Pat, “and the concrete for the huge first Halifax-Dartmouth
bridge was poured mainly by the efforts
of these Preston black workers.”
In return
for Tom McDonalds kindness, his men were fiercely
loyal.
“They
loved my father for believing in them, Pat says, and, in my younger years, I
was by my father’s side many times when he attended black weddings, baptisms
and funerals.”
Pat’s
father, a devout Catholic, was a man of principle. With only four years of
formal education, Tom McDonald was no stranger to menial and
backbreaking tasks. Wanting better for his sons, the senior
McDonald insisted his offspring apply themselves to their school studies.
This in turn led Pat to earn three
University Degrees in Art, Education and Law. Many times Pat and his
younger brother were the only white workers Tom McDonald hired on his concrete
crew.
It seems
these early experiences determined the human rights issues Pat
pursued in later life, such as helping underprivileged children, minority
groups and First Nations people.
Lifelong
interests have included history, music, literature and sports. In 1986, Pat traveled
to China on behalf of the Alberta Government Cultural Exchange Program,
coaching clinics for Chinese basketball coaches, and in 1988 Pat was awarded the Olympic Flame Medal for
coaching in during the Calgary Winter Olympics. In March of this year, Pat
was inducted into the Shooting Stars Alberta Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
After a
career in Law, Pat, or Mr. Mac as students affectionately called him, served as
a Principal of St. Matthew School in
Rocky Mountain House.
Since his
retirement, Pat has written extensively and, besides his full-length book, is
the author of several published articles such as The Métis Settlement of Tail Creek, Maskepatoon-Christian Warrior, Father
Albert Lacombe-The Man of Good Heart and Cree Angel.
Pat is
also a much sought after speaker, making presentation to the Canadian
Archaeological Association in B.C. in 2005, and the Society for
American Archaeology in in 2006.
In May of this year, Pat spoke to an international audience of Archaeologists
and Anthropologists in Rocky Mountain House.
As the
main speaker at the Alberta Provincial Boys and Girls High School Basketball
Provincials in 2007, Pat addressed over 1,000 athletes and guests. He has also
presented at a number of Historical Societies, and this May, Pat was the main
speaker at the Alberta Historical Society Annual Banquet- his topic, David Thompson and Charlotte Small. In 2007, Pat was the recipient
of a prestigious award given by the Central Alberta Historical Society for
promoting history in Alberta .
He has
appeared on the CPAC National Channel and twice has been a guest speaker at the
Grey Coat School in
London, England, the school David
Thompson attended. He recently appeared on Global TV, presenting the history of
Rocky Mountain House. He also appears on Tourism
Alberta You Tube, with stories of David Thompson’s travels.
In 2005,
Pat sat on the Repatriation Committee and the Aboriginal Committee to plan the
reburial of remains of twenty-six people who died during the fur trade era, a
project which has officially established protocol for future reburials.
As guest
speaker for the Central Alberta Historical Society in 2009, Pat spoke
about these reburials on Feb.19th at 7:30 p.m. in the red deer Museum to a packed house.
If you
have questions contact Pat McDonald through pjmac@telusplanet.net
