Our Dream Was Canada

About the Book

In 1982, I and my husband, parents with two young children, made a big decision. We fled our country, Czechoslovakia, to find our way to Canada and to start a new life there. As most citizens behind the "iron curtain," we felt increasing limitations of our personal freedom and our lack of defense against these. However, the main reason behind our decision was the worsening condition of the natural environment. In those days, in Czechoslovakia, I worked in the environmental field and was also taking postgraduate courses dealing with environment. I was not permitted to publish news about the deterioration of the environment, but because of my studies, I heard the bad news, gloomy statistics and hopeless prognosis. I was alarmed and finally, deeply depressed. "What to do? Where to move?" When even "our" mountains, our home, showed the undeniable signs of pollution, from no loacal cuases, we made our decision.

A holiday in Yugoslavia provided, for us, the only oportunity to get out of the country with both children. From there, we had hoped to continue to Western countries. We managed it, despite the obstacles, but our stay in a German refugee camp extended over a year. Unfortunately for us, the Canadian government did not support our application for immigration. Our qualifications and experience in forestry and environment were not in demand, so our only chance for immigration to Canada was to obtain a sponsor.

Finally, we were sponsored and in the Fall of 1983, and we landed in Canada, in Toronto. It took an additional two years before we came to the place, where we had dreamed of living, the Rocky Mountains.

About the Author

Eva Zidek was born in Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia. She studied forestry, a five-year program at the University of Prague. After her schooling, she worked in the field for the Czech Forest Service, as a forest technician and district manager, and later as an independent forester for the National Forest Management Institute. She moved several times, married, and had two children. The last place the family lived in Czechoslovakia was Jeseniky, located in the North Eastern mountains of Czechoslovakia, where Eva worked for a Land-Protected area (similar to a provincial park) as a forester and biologist. Here the family came to the fateful decision to flee the country and move to Canada.

In Canada, Eva has had a varied work history, including field work for the Alberta Forest Service. Currently, she works for Parks Canada.