How ant-Black racism protests are popping up in small towns across Ontario
By Hayden Watters, CBC News – June 11, 2020
Grade 12 student Reneé Ficko is used to organizing climate protests, but often has a hard time getting people to join in.
She helped put on a protest in her hometown of Collingwood, Ont., on Monday and was struck by how many came out. The community sits on Georgian Bay, 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto.
"We closed the street down and we marched," she said. "We live in a town where there is still a lot of racism."
Only about 20,000 people live in Collingwood, Ont. Some of Trinity Stephens' friends stayed home because they were nervous but now are keen to participate because of the support they saw. 'If you care, then it shows other people that they should care.' (Submitted by Tom Hannan)
The area's Black population has a storied past, chronicled in a local Black history museum called Sheffield Park.
Trinity Stephens touched on her experiences with racism during a speech at that protest. She said much of it happened at a local high school, where her teachers didn't always stop it. She didn't have a speech prepared and said she spoke from the heart.
"I really didn't realize that I had all of that inside of me," she said, home from her studies at University of British Columbia. "I feel so much lighter."
She too was "shocked" by the turn out and didn't think it was very common for Collingwood. Both Stephens and Ficko plan to attend another protest in town this weekend.
"It makes it more of an accepting place," she said. "This is definitely a new step forward for Collingwood."
November 23, 2021
In challenging times such as these we come to appreciate even more the value and support of our Georgian Bay community. Whether we’re full-time residents, seasonal chalet/cottagers, weekend warriors or tourists, the one thing that binds us all together is our love for Georgian Bay and everything it adds to our lives.
It was that pride in her Georgian Bay community that got Natalie Thompson to thinking last April as the waves of the Covid storm began washing up on our shores. Having had her second year at Brock University cut short....
The Town of Collingwood has released a 7 Step Checklist to help business get back to work - safely!
Here's the Checklist:
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