The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 20 ,2 02 0 | 22 Legal Disclaimers - Property.com Inc. is a private sale marketing company and each PropertyGuys.com franchise is indpendently owned and operated (collectively 'Us' or 'We').We are not real estate brokers nor agents. We present neither the buyer or nor the seller. We do not trade in real estate. We neither warranty nor make any representations as to the outcome of a property sale.©2020 PropertyGuys.com Inc., All Rights Reserved. From politics to policing, hospitals to housing, Star journalists report on the issues that affect us all. We hold the powerful accountable, help you navigate your day, and work to build a country that creates the greatest good for the greatest number. Stay close to what matters most at thestar.com. Profitfirst, grandparents last? The Town of Oakville has announced it will name a park after a late founder and longtime lead- er of the Canadian Caribbe- an Association of Halton (CCAH) Veronica Tyrrell. The motion to honour Tyrrell was passed at a re- cent council meeting. Tyrrell is remembered for her tireless efforts to deepen the community's knowledge of local Black history, particularly Oak- ville's role in the Under- ground Railroad. She was involved in sev- eral local community and political organizations. She served on the Hal- ton Multicultural Council and partnered with Com- munity Development Hal- ton. Tyrrell also worked hard to make Oakville and Halton Region a more in- clusive community by working with disadvan- taged youth, promoting Ca- ribbean culture and per- forming arts and helping new citizens from the Ca- ribbean settle in Canada. She was recognized for her work with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubi- lee Medal in 2012. Tyrrell died Oct. 7, 2018 at the age of 81. The park that will bear Tyrrell's name is located in north Oakville at Button- bush Trail. The motion was brought forward by Ward 7 Council- lors Jasvinder Sandhu and Pavan Parmar. "Speaking as a woman of colour, anyone would have been able to see the force that Veronica Tyrrell was in this community. She contributed much to Oak- ville, much to the Caribbe- an association here in Oak- ville and much to every person of colour here in Oakville," said Sandhu. "We are pleased and happy to bring this forward so that we can name a park after her here in the town, because it is so well de- served." Parmar noted Tyrrell worked hard to bring peo- ple together with the goal of achieving inclusivity, tolerance and social change. "I think now more than ever we need to remember and act on the ideas and is- sues that she advocated for," said Parmar. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton said Tyrrell was his friend and noted he has fond memories of working with her to revive the tradi- tion of the Emancipation Day Picnic. The special event com- memorates Aug. 1, 1834 -- the day slavery was abol- ished throughout Canada and the British Empire. The picnic started in 1850, when African Canadi- ans from across the nation would gather at Oakville's George's Square to cele- brate their freedom. The tradition was some- what forgotten in the 20th century, but is now enjoyed annually again in Oakville. Tyrrell's son Andrew, who is now president of the CCAH, also weighed in on the park dedication. "It's a gift to my family, it's a gift to the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton, it's a gift to the Re- gion of Halton and the Town of Oakville," he said. "My mom loved to serve the community and I think this a fitting tribute from the community she cher- ished." The CCAH is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to promoting di- versity, inclusion, support- ing cultural development, encouraging civic engage- ment through volunteer- ing and offering arts and education programs. COUNCIL DEDICATES PARK TO HONOUR VERONICA TYRRELL DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com NEWS "My mom loved to serve the community and I think this a fitting tribute from the community she cherished." - Andrew Tyrrell, president of the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton WE HAVE NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY DAY INSIDEHALTON.COM/BOOKS