Once upon a time, Canada was a land of great beauty | 1being

Once upon a time, Canada was a land of great beauty but also growing challenges. People crowded into cities, paying high prices for tiny apartments, working long hours, and still struggling to make ends meet. Even though Canada had vast landscapes stretching as far as the eye could see, much of the land was out of reach, owned by big corporations or held in government reserves, too costly for regular families to access.

But something was shifting. Across the country, people began to remember the old ways of living in harmony with the land. They dreamed of a life where they could grow their food, warm their homes with wood they gathered, and raise their families in peace and purpose. Slowly, the idea spread: what if Canadians had a true right to land?

Leaders and communities came together, inspired by this vision. They began to implement land protection acts that prevented corporations and foreign investors from hoarding land. Instead, they opened up small, affordable parcels, giving families the chance to live sustainably on their own homesteads. These plots were just the right size—about 1-2 hectares per person, enough for each family to grow a food forest, gather firewood, and build a home without draining the land.

In the first few years, there was a learning curve. People who had never planted a seed or raised animals attended workshops in their communities, where they learned about permaculture, gardening, and how to set up self-sufficient homes. Local experts shared their knowledge, while libraries stocked up on books about everything from food forests to woodworking. Each community created “maker spaces” where people could use 3D printers, machinery, and tools to create the things they needed, reducing dependence on distant factories and long supply chains.

Soon, communities began to transform. Families moved from cramped apartments in the city to small, vibrant homesteads surrounded by orchards, vegetable gardens, and fields of wildflowers. They worked together, sharing tools and skills, helping each other with harvests, and gathering in the evenings for meals and fellowship. Churches stood at the heart of each community, a place where people gathered to share stories, celebrate their faith, and find strength in each other.

As the years passed, these communities grew closer and stronger. Children grew up with their hands in the soil, understanding the rhythms of the seasons, learning the skills of their parents, and caring deeply for the land that sustained them. With every passing season, they became more self-sufficient. They no longer relied on expensive food and fuel from far-off cities. Instead, they grew their own food in their gardens, gathered firewood from nearby forests, and produced what they needed in the community maker spaces.

People began to realize that this transformation wasn’t just about living off the land—it was about rediscovering a way of life filled with meaning and connection. Free from the pressures of overcrowded cities and debt, they found joy in the simple, purposeful work of building a life for their families. The wealth disparity that had once plagued the country faded, replaced by communities where each family had what they needed and where success was measured by contribution and character, not by possessions.

In time, Canada became a quiltwork of these close-knit, self-sufficient communities, each unique in culture and tradition but united by a love of the land and of each other. Cities transformed as well, becoming places where people gathered to share art, music, and ideas, rather than places driven by the rush and struggle of daily survival. And all across the land, from north to south, from the coasts to the prairies, Canadians built lives of purpose, faith, and resilience.

Through this transformation, Canada became a true home to its people—a place where everyone had land to tend, a community to cherish, and a future to build. And so, the nation thrived, a land of families rooted in the earth, living in harmony with nature, and building a legacy of hope and abundance for generations to come.