Celebrating Canada's 150th

Thirty-five years ago, in 1982, the Heritage Rug Hooking Guild of New Brunswick was formed in Fredericton. In celebration of both Canada’s 150th birthday and our own anniversary, members were challenged to hook a 9" square depicting what Canada meant to them. Each mat was to have a red whipped edge.
Such diversity! Our 38 entries fall under four themes: Canadian icons, diversity, landscapes, and travel.  

Canadian icons include our flag, our national sport, the Hudson’s Bay Company—a commercial enterprise that, more than anything, led to the settlement of Canada—and our wildlife. The country’s transition from Dominion to nation is reflected through the change from the Union Jack flag to the Maple Leaf, a symbol recognized across the world as representing a free, peace-loving country with a diverse population. Hockey, our national sport, shows up in several of the mats, from the official logo of Hockey Canada to depictions of a pick-up game played on a frozen pond and onlookers with their Tim Hortons coffee to keep them warm. The Hudson’s Bay Company started out as a fur-trading operation, and for a time functioned as the de facto government in what would become Canada. Their traders and agents opened up the western part of Canada and did much to create our nation. The Hudson’s Bay blanket, incorporating colored stripes on a natural wool background, is another popular image of Canadiana.