Here's what's going on this February for Black History Month in Hamilton and surrounding areas
CBC
Black History Month starts Feb. 1, a time used to honour the contributions, heritage and legacy of Black people in Canada.
This year marks the 30th anniversary since the first time Black History Month was celebrated federally in 1996.
Here are some events happening in Hamilton to celebrate and commemorate the occasion.
The Hamilton Black History Council is organizing a launch event on Friday, where they plan to unveil two new Black History Month honourees “who have contributed immensely to the health and wellbeing of our community,” according to a social media post from the council.
The event will also see the launch of a Black Health Community Advisory Table, “which will highlight the transformational work underway to help shape better health outcomes for Black communities,” according to the city.
A bus wrap by local artist stylo starr — honouring local Black artist Queen Cee — will also be unveiled at the event, and local vendors will be present.
The event runs from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hamilton Public Library’s central branch.
On Feb. 1, the Brant County is hosting its “very first official recognition of Black History Month” with a flag-raising ceremony and a celebration.
“This landmark celebration signifies a vital step in our collective journey toward building a more inclusive and equitable Ontario from the ground up,” said the Equity and Advocacy Social Justice Foundation.
The event starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Brant County Council Chambers on 7 Broadway St. W. in Paris, Ont., and will include live music and performances, speakers, and more.
The Hamilton Public Library is hosting several events throughout the month, including an Author Talk with Antonio Michael Downing, who will be speaking at the central branch on Feb. 19 about his novel, Black Cherokee.
The Jamaica Foundation Hamilton is hosting a workshop and matinee on Feb. 21 at the Valley Park Branch. The workshop will focus on Kente design at 10 a.m. and Garvey’s Ghost, a Caribbean-Canadian comedy series, starts at 12 p.m.
Also at the central branch, Michelle Bonsu, Ghanaian cultural worker, is leading a workshop on Feb. 28 about the African knowledge system “and how African wisdom can be applied to everyday life,” according to the library’s website.
The library has also curated a list of books and movies for people to check out during Black History Month.
Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives will huddle behind closed doors at a policy convention this weekend as some Tories question the party’s direction after nearly eight years in power.
The father of a three-year-old girl that was killed after being struck by a vehicle in Cambridge in mid-December says recent charges laid to the driver bring little comfort and relief.
The start of kindergarten can be a time of excitement or anxiety for parents, guardians and children — and also for Prince Edward Island's education officials as they try to staff schools appropriately.
Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation (NNC)’s proposed hydro project is facing some backlash in Pangnirtung.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will take to the stage Friday for what could be one of the most important speeches of his political career as he tries to convince delegates at the party's Calgary convention to keep him in the job.
As his flight departed from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport en route to Kuwait via Istanbul, Canadian crypto fugitive Andean Medjedovic was unaware that his globe-trotting lifestyle would soon be halted.
One of the largest taxi companies in Toronto will be down to three wheelchair-accessible cabs by the end of March, as advocates and providers say the city is failing to support accessible taxi drivers.
As a deep freeze continues to envelop southwestern Ontario at the same time municipalities deal with a pressing shortage of road salt, there's a renewed focus on finding different ways to melt road ice.
Dave Lawson is a proud Canadian who has bumper stickers that say "Canada is not for sale." He's fed up with grocery products plastered with maple leaves and patriotic logos that turn out to be American imports.
The Town of Badger has issued an evacuation order for some residents as water levels on the Exploits River continue to rise.
The head of a national seniors' advocacy organization says protecting nursing home residents from sexual abuse is an important but challenging issue.
New data shows Winnipeg's fire-paramedic service fielded hundreds of reports involving the city's homeless population, but one advocate says she expects that number to go down in light of the city's limits on where encampments can be.
Former students of the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School have reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the federal government.