Maps lie. That’s the unexpected and bold statement my professor told me as we looked at a map on his wall. He was an amateur map enthusiast who had a passion for the ways that maps shape our perception of the world. Pulling out other maps he began to point out all the places where maps do not tell the truth. Some maps place well-known landmarks like Vancouver Island or Prince Edward Island at some distance from the shore so that they look distinct from the mainland, knowing that at actual scale the islands would be nearly touching. It is an exaggeration meant to bring clarity, and to our eye it looks right, but it may not be truthful.
Maps are not always intended to be accurate, they are intended to be helpful. They are a representation of our place, but sometimes the real place is much different. A computer map we use in a car is made to show the roads in bright bold colours, while a map of a mall highlights the stores we might find. Maps leave out some things so that we can focus on what the map-maker thinks is most important.
As a boy the most important things in my neighbourhood for me were not highways or malls, but toboggan hills, cut-through pathways in the alley on my way to school, and playgrounds. My inner map charted the lay of the land at ground level. I knew where to find beetles, I avoided the cul-de-sac where a mean kid at school lived, and when I listen to pop music from the 1980’s some songs take me right back to the parking lot outside of the Bi-Rite drugstore in Regina where we lived.
Today we are making new maps, and a new atlas, to help us navigate our community. At first we follow the maps on our phone and let the GPS show us the way. But eventually we expand our vision for what our map might bring. When we moved to Chestermere our mental map was pragmatic and devoid of most charm and character. Today our map looks different, highlighting the homes of friends and neighbours we love, of walking paths our dog enjoys and it is dotted with memories. We are making our maps and emphasizing what we love about our community.
Our daughter is in first grade and since we cannot visit the school because of Covid-19, we asked her if she could draw a map of her classroom, just for fun. A few days later she did, and it is a treasure. She worked for several days, with a friend, drawing in all the details. We noticed something special. Her map listed the names of her classmates; people who are special to her. Her map emphasizes the people who make her day special.
Our neighbourhood atlas starts as a bland set of lines, but as we love our neighbourhood we begin to see that our maps really point to neighbours: people. Our communities are a woven network of connections, stories, and moments that matter. As the weather warms I hope you’ll discover the nuances of the place you call home, and come to discover the joy of creating a map that means so much more to you.
