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15 | Friday June 3 0 , 2 0 1 7 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | w w w .in s id e h a lto n .c o m The Emancipation Day Picnic held on August Civic Holiday by Nathan Howes Oakville Beaver Staff W hen w hat would become Oakville had its be ginnings at the m outh of the Sixteen Mile Creek in 1827, it would truly become a harbour of safety for many African-Americans escaping slavery in the United States. Among the shipbuilders, merchants and farm ers of the day, there were some who did double duty, lesser-known feats, but perhaps far more important than what appeared to be their first calling. Oakville played a significant role in Can ada' s Underground Railroad, which saw AfricanAmerican slaves in the United States smuggled to freedom in Canada. As was noted by former Ward 2 Councillor Pam Damoff, now Oakville North-Burlington MP, w ho brought forward the naming motion to officially proclaim the civic holiday as Emancipa tion Day in Oakville, its a part of our heritage of which m any m ay not be aware. As Canada is a country proud to embrace multiculturalism, the philosophy was alive and well in Oakville m ore 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, Opportu nity 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 Jam es Wesley Hill or `Canada Jim,' a former slave who fled 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 oth er slaves to freedom. He is credited with leading 7 0 0 -8 0 0 people to a new beginning in Oakville. In later years, the first Canadian prosecution of the Ku K lux Klan was tried in Oakville, in what is now a local restaurant. It was in the 1930s, following a cross burning at the hom e of a local man. Oakville celebrates with the Emancipation Day Picnic, a tradition dating to 1850, when Af rican Canadians, from across the nation, would gather at George' s Square on Trafalgar Road, in honour of their journey to freedom. They would comm em orate Aug. 1, 1834 -- the day slavery was abolished in Canada and throughout the British Empire. Today, Oakville takes extra pride in celebrat ing the civic holiday as Emancipation Day. The Emancipation Day picnic is still held, m ost re cently on the grounds of Erchless Estate, home of the Oakville Museum. Family. Together forever. P re-sele ct sp a ce in our elegant Last S u pper M ausoleum and honour yo u r fam ily and faith forever. For g e n era tions to com e, o u r m odern buildings will provide for c o m fo rta b le visitation in any season. C om plete your m ausoleum pre-planning today. Take the first step. Call now. 905-257-1100 g le n o a k s .c a Glen O aks Funeral H om e & C em etery byArborMemorial 3164 Ninth Line (403 & Dundas St.), Mississauga/Oakville, ON ArborMemorial Inc. Family Owned. Proudly Canadian. Need help with house-cleaning? Let us do it for you! Discover cleaning service that's affordable, reliable, and convenient. PayPal Sunrise Cleaning Services C all us to d a y fo r a fre e e stim ate! ___ 9 0 5 -5 6 7 -1 1 9 9 t j Q E l C h e c k o ut our cu rrent s p e c ia ls at: www.Sunrise-Cleaning.ca M tl im i gc en g Servicing Oakville for over 20 years! BOUNCES LIKE Enjoy your life and leave the cleaning to us! R U B B E R WEARS LIKE v. O R IG ,^ GRILL OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK 7 A M - 3 PM c < Call today for a FREE QUOTE C elebrate w ith us 905.689.9911 · 1.855.766.7822 em ail: info@rubaroc.com Canada's 1 5 0 th basic * 1 > July 1st B irth d a y BreAkfAST only D ine in only 2501 Prince Michael Drive, Oakville O ff D undas St. (#5 H w y) b e tw e e n M e a d o w rid g e Dr. & E ig h th Line - S hoppes on D undas Plaza www.vubaroc.com 9 0 5 .2 5 7 .5 1 2 6 · w w w .s u n n y s id e g rill.c o m