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THURSDAY JULY 28, 2022 HOSTING AN EVENT? POST IT. PROMOTE IT. INSIDEHALTON.COM /EVENTS Winners of the Halton Black History Awareness Society (HBHAS) inaugural essay contest began their project unaware of the educational journey on which they were about to embark. Open to high school students of the Halton District and Halton Catholic District school boards -- in Oakville, and across the region -- the task was to delve into the "Black experience in Halton." "I was very unaware of this his- tory," said Tobi Oyedele, a Grade 11 Bishop Reding Secondary School student, co-winner of the contest, along with Jackson Cart- er, an 18-year-old recent graduate of Burlington Central Secondary School. "I did not really know of the extraordinary individuals in Halton." When Jackson read the essay subject matter, he said he was at a loss as to where to begin. "The extent of my back- ground knowledge was the role of British North America in the EXPLORING HALTON'S BLACK HISTORY See HALTON'S, page 20 STUDENTS SHARE INSIGHT VIA NEWLY-ESTABLISHED ESSAY CONTEST KATHY YANCHUS kyanchus@metroland.com Tobi Oyedele, co-winner of the HBHAS essay contest, stands at Oakville Harbour, where many Black slaves landed after being hidden in cargo ships arriving from the U.S. Graham Paine/Metroland www.carstaroakville.com 916 Winston Churchill Blvd. 905-845-7579 2212 Wyecroft Rd. 905-847-2595 2202 - 5991 th Insurance A better insurance experience starts here. Rob J Demille, Agent 515 Dundas St. W., Unit 203 Oakville, ON L6M 4M2 905-849-3050 rob@robdemille.ca Get in to ch toda DESJARDINS®, DESJARDINS INSURANCETM, all trademarks containing the word DESJARDINS, as well as related logos are trademarks of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec, used under licence Get in touch today. ed under licence. Insurance tailored for you by your upper Oakville Desjardins Agents C ST -0 34 4 Darryl R Demille Insurance and Financial Services Darryl Demille CFP, Agent 905-842-1020 darryldemille.com Richard Demille, Agent 905-257-0111 richarddemille.com Rob J Demille, Agent 905-849-3050 robdemille.ca PICK YOUR FAVOURITE VOTING NOW OPEN insidehalton.com