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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, July 24, 2015 | 6 A little-known past Oakville is known for a lot of things... it is `home' ... and truly is this year... to the RBC Canadian Open, draws a huge crowd to its downtown in summer months to Midnight Madness and the annual jazz festival. But in just more than a week's time, we will take the national pride we've felt at seeing our local athletes excel on the global stage of the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games, and look a little closer to home. Town council recently of cially proclaimed the upcoming civic holiday as Emancipation Day. There will be a picnic bearing that name on the grounds of the Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate located on Navy Street at Oakville Harbour. There, Oakville's founder William Chisholm began what would become our great town of today. Oakville was more than a port of business and commerce. It was truly a harbour of safety for many African-Americans escaping slavery in the United States. Among the shipbuilders, merchants and farmers of the day, there were some who did double duty... lesser known feats, but perhaps far more important than what appeared to be their rst calling. Oakville played a signi cant role in Canada's Underground Railroad, which saw African-American slaves in the United States smuggled to freedom in Canada -- to Oakville. As was noted by Ward 2 Councillor Pam Damoff, who brought forward the naming motion, it's a part of our heritage of which many may not be aware. As Canada is a country proud to embrace multiculturalism, the philosophy was alive and espoused by many Oakvillians more than 100 years ago. A local school takes its name from Captain Robert Wilson, who sailed the Great Lakes out of Oakville, and who concealed many slaves -- seeking freedom -- in wooden crates on his ship. If you visit Oakville Museum to see its Underground Railroad displays -- Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville's Black History and The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom -- you can see one of these crates -- containers in which people hid for days in their pursuit of freedom. There was Conductor James Wesley Hill or `Canada Jim,' a former slave who ed to Bronte and for whom another local school is named. Hill repeatedly risked his life by returning to America, where he was wanted dead or alive, to guide other slaves to freedom. He is credited with leading 700-800 people to a new beginning in Oakville. In later years, the rst Canadian prosecution of the Ku Klux Klan was tried here in Oakville, in what is now a local restaurant. It was in the 1930s, following a cross burning at the home of a local man. The Emancipation Day Picnic is not new either. It dates to 1850, when African Canadians, from across the nation, would gather at George's Square on Trafalgar Road, in honour of their journey to freedom. They would commemorate Aug. 1, 1834 -- the day slavery was abolished in Canada and throughout the British Empire. It's truly tting that Oakville will now take extra pride in celebrating the civic holiday as Emancipation Day. Editorial M A Y C O U R T S U P P O R T S M O S T "Connected to your Community" V U L N E R A B L E 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 53 | Number 59 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS The May Court Club of Oakville gave a total $100,000 to 21 local agencies recently. The funds were raised through the May Court Nearly New Shop, fundraising events and sponsors and donors. With a view to the service club's mandate of funding support to the most vulnerable women, children and families, bene tting charities included: Acclaim Health, Arthouse, Big Brother Big Sisters, Carey House, Capability, Support Services Inc., Clothing Works, Distress Centre Oakville, ErinoakKids, F.A.S.T. (Family Adolescent Straight Talk), Food4Kids, Food For Life, Halton Women's Place, HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters), Home Suite Hope, Kerr Street Mission, Lighthouse for Grieving Children, March of Dimes, Jean and Howard Caine Apartments, Oakville Parent Child Centre, S.E.N.E.C.A. Seniors Day Program of Halton, St. John Ambulance, Wellspring Birmingham Giligan House, and the YMCA of Oakville. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA `Coywolf' feels at home on Bridge Road I'm writing to share this photo of what I believe to be a `coywolf' that has been seen wandering in our Bridge Road neighbourhood, between Third Line and Bronte Road. My husband saw it two nights in a row around 9:30 p.m. The rst night, it was on a mission, walking rather quickly. The second night, it was just taking its time and walked right by the bottom of our driveway. The animal and my husband looked at each other, gured neither one posed a threat to the other, and it went on its way. Letter to the Editor Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager One morning this week, at 6:20 a.m., he saw it again and took this picture with his phone. The fact that it feels comfortable enough to appear both at night and in daylight is scary. When our dogs need to go outside we will, now, remain with them to make sure they're both safe -- especially at night. I thought I would pass it along as a warning to people to be extra cautious and be aware of their surrounds especially if they have small children and/or pets. Susan Garland, Oakville Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Time to speak up against graphic mail Re: "Anonymous Delivery Detracts From Message, Oakville Beaver, Friday, July 10, 2015 There is no reward in writing a letter of protest to groups like this. Organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform or Campaign Life Coalition appear to care little about those they may affect in a negative or damaging way -- including children or women, who may experience psychological triggers due to very negative past related experiences. see Time on p.7 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter.