Living in the past

A local study wants to rediscover past lifestyles from the early 20th century.

The Forum for Ecological Education and Action interviewed approximately 20 seniors born between 1900 and 1930. The study hopes to find solutions to present day problems by looking at how people lived without television, cars and other modern day comforts. FEEA held a forum with participants of the research study and other seniors at the Jasper Place senior’s home on Saturday.

Dorothy Chambers was born in May 1922. She participated in the study and spoke about living back in the 1930’s. Chambers said there were no such things as buses when she went to school and there weren’t many cars on the road.

"We didn’t mind the walk," Chambers said. "Anyone with a car considered it a real luxury."

Chambers remembers how she received hand-me-downs from her older siblings and wore dresses since women didn’t wear pants at the time. She said throwing out clothes was out of the question. Her mother would simply patch any holes.

Chambers said her mother didn’t leave the house much since there were no babysitters. For entertainment she would go out to play baseball or go skating, she said.

Chambers doesn’t remember getting headaches as a child and her mother would just wrap up any cuts or bruises with a piece of cloth.

"There were no such things as Band-Aids," she said. "We didn’t get headaches because we were having too much fun. I guess we gave our mothers headaches."

Steve Sipos is in his late 70’s and immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia with his family in 1937. He didn’t participate in the study because he was born after 1930. However, he had his own ideas on how to reduce waste the old fashion way. He said scarves and socks made from old wool sweaters could save money and reduce the size of landfills.

He added families should not eat out until restaurants serve meals with less fat and less salt.

"This way we should have a healthier society," Sipos said. "Also, live within your means. Quit being maxed out on a half a dozen credit cards."

Dr. Tom Puk, president of Forum for Ecological Education and Action, said the study began in January and they picked seniors by word of mouth.

"People say you can’t go backwards," Puk said. "We aren’t trying to go backwards we are trying to pull those behaviors into the future in a very timely manner."

The focus of the study looks to find ways that are less damaging than modern methods, he said. Plastics weren’t widely used by consumers during the time of the study. Puk said the study asks what did people use instead and is that same method usable today.

Puk said there are technologies in the past that he does not want to come back such as coal. However, people are dependent on fossil fuels, which he said is still dirty.

"We need to get off of fossil fuels," he said. "If we were to stop all of our carbon monoxide that would have a significant affect on irregular climate."

Puk said he expects the study to conclude in March.