Heritage Bytes

Black Heritage Matters - The Road That Led to Somewhere with Dr. Bryan Walls

Heritage Mississauga is pleased to announce our fourth speaker in our #BlackHeritageMatters webinar series will be Dr. Bryan Walls from the John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Museum.

Dr. Walls will be sharing his presentation of "The Road That Led to Somewhere" during which Dr. Walls speaks to the deeper significance of his book of the same name and tells the story of his ancestors, John and Jane Walls, and their journey on the Underground Railroad from enslavement in the United States to freedom in Canada.

Through their story he will emphasize the fact that that for John and Jane and thousands of others, the Underground Railroad was the first great freedom movement in the Americas, and the first time that good people Black and White and of different Races and Faiths worked together in harmony in the new world, for freedom and for justice.

Dr. Bryan Walls is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario 1994, and has received many other honours such as the Ontario Black History Society Mathieu Da Costa Award (Facilitator and Communicator), the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the President`s Volunteer Service Award from the White House Washington D.C. just to name a few.

He is also a licensed member of The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario and a member of the American College of Dentists of the United States and Canada.

Please join us as we welcome our very distinguished guest for this fascinating and very personal webinar.

 

We would like to thank the Community Foundation of Mississauga and the City of Mississauga for their support to help us bring this important series to Mississauga.

Black Heritage Matters - Courageous Conversations: Connecting Black History to 2022 with Rosemary Sadlier OOnt (Order of Ontario)

Heritage Mississauga welcomes Rosemary Sadlier OOnt (Order of Ontario) for her presentation of Courageous Conversations: Connecting Black History to 2022.

In this talk, we will examine some significant elements of African Canadian History as connected to and distinct from the United States. In the process, why we have a Black History Month and why it is necessary will be explored as will some contemporary matters that challenge all Canadians.

Rosemary Sadlier OOnt (Order of Ontario) is a social justice advocate, researcher, writer, consultant, and international speaker on Black History, anti-racism and women’s issues. 

She is the past President, serving for 22 years as the unpaid leader of the Ontario Black History Society. She was the driving force of the secured commemoration of February as Black History Month at all levels of government; she secured August 1st as Emancipation Day municipally in 1995 and provincially in 2008 with a national declaration recently passed now making this a national commemoration in Canada.
 
She saw to the creation of the national day for the Hon. Lincoln Alexander. She has given deputations to the UN Rapporteur on Race Relations, the Federal and Provincial Governments and on consultative work with the Royal Ontario Museum, the CMHR, The Ward Heritage Interpretative Group, the Bi-National Study of the Underground Railroad and heritage conferences Previously she served on the final selection committee of the national Mathieu Da Costa Challenge for Canadian Heritage and the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee. 

An educator, she has developed or contributed to African Canadian curriculum, national exhibits and publications. She was an appointed member of the College of Early Childhood Educators. An author, Sadlier has written seven books on African Canadian history. A consultant, she effects diversity, equity and inclusion projects, and, recently was appointed Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean with the Royal Commonwealth Society. Sadlier is dedicated to social justice and using the frame of Black History, seeks to educate and empower others.

We would like to thank the Community Foundation of Mississauga and the City of Mississauga - Municipal Government for their support to help us bring this important series to Mississauga.

Recommended Reading:
Black History Africa, The Caribbean And The Americas by Rosemary Sadlier (Author), Gregory Birkett (Author), Derek Grant (Author), Tony Colaiacovo (Contributor), Ben Sichei (Contributor)

Harriet Tubman: Freedom Seeker, Freedom Leader by Rosemary Sadlier

#BHM #BlackHeritageMatters #BLM

 

 

Black Heritage Matters - Black Canadian Veteran Stories with Kathy Grant, Founder of Legacy Voices

Heritage Mississauga invites you to join us as we continue with our webinar series Black Heritage Matters.

This week, we are pleased to welcome Kathy Grant, who will be presenting "Black Canadian Veteran Stories".

Kathy will be discussing the history, experiences, and contributions of Black Canadian Veterans.

Born in Montreal to Barbadian immigrants, Kathy Grant is a public historian and founder of Legacy Voices, which ensures Black Canadian History is documented and preserved. Kathy has made educational presentations to municipalities, schools, and community organizations, and works to promote an inclusive approach to storytelling and historical documentation.

She was invited by the French Embassy in Ottawa to attend the 95th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and subsequently invited by the War Museum in Ottawa to present her No.2 Construction Battalion/Great War exhibit for the 100th Anniversary of the No.2 on Remembrance Day in 2016. Over the past decade Kathy has undertaken extensive research on the contributions of African Canadians in the First World War and assisted Veterans Affairs Canada in the development of the department’s commemorative resources on the military service of Black Canadians.

Kathy was the 2020 recipient of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women award in the category of “History”.

Kathy was chosen to work with YAP films as lead historian for the documentary on Black soldiers who served Canada in the Second World War. Remembrance Day 202, the documentary aired on the History Channel and subsequently on Global TV and Amazon Prime.

In November 2021, Kathy was a part of select team of historians and researchers that launched the website www.blackcanadianveterans.com


We would like to thank the Community Foundation of Mississauga and City of Mississauga - Municipal Government for their support to help us bring this important series to Mississauga.

Black Heritage Matters - Why Black History is Important with Lezlie Harper

Heritage Mississauga invites you to listen our introductory webinar in our series "Black Heritage Matters"

We are pleased to welcome Lezlie Harper who will be presenting "Why Black History is Important".

Lezlie will be discussing historical markers in the Niagara Region, the historic sites of the Underground Railroad, the iconic Harriet Tubman, and the importance of education and understanding of Black history in Canada.

Lezlie Harper is the owner of Niagara Bound Tours, a tour company that specializes in Black history tours since 2004. As well as doing tours in Niagara, she also organizes tours to other destinations as well.

She is a descendant of Freedom Seekers that came to Fort Erie in 1851. So as well as Black history stories, she also shares personal and family stories as well.

As well as running her own tours, she also sits on various boards and committees promoting Black history. At the present time she is on the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State, the Ontario Black History Society, the International Harriet Tubman Trail Committee and the John Brown Lives Festival Committee. To balance things out, she is the vice president on the Riverbrink Art Museum board in Niagara on the Lake.

 

We would like to thank the Community Foundation of Mississauga and the City of Mississauga for their support to help us bring this important series to Mississauga.

Commemorating Mississauga’s Cultural Heritage: From the Pearl of the Indian Ocean to Port Credit with Gaya Nagendra

This week Heritage Bytes concludes the immigration story From the Pearl of the Indian Ocean to Port Credit with Gaya Nagendra.
 
In this three-part series featuring Gaya Nagendra, we hear the inspiring immigration story of Gaya and her family from escaping persecution and the riots of 1983 in Sri Lanka, to settling into Canada and all of the challenges that Gaya and her family faced in adapting to a new country, language, and culture.

 

In this episode Kelly Ralston, Social Media & Program Coordinator, has a discussion with Meghan Mackintosh, Outreach Coordinator, and Gaya on her memories of leaving her childhood  home, her first impressions of Mississauga when she arrived in 1985, and what this project has meant to her.

 
This program was made possible with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and provides opportunities for the cultural communities of Mississauga to preserve and celebrate their heritage contributions to the city and to develop ideas for ways to animate these important community milestones, and share them with the broader community.


We would like to thank Gaya for her willingness to share her personal stories with Heritage Mississauga. If you would like to share your stories, please contact Meghan at outreach@heritagemississauga.org.

 
Visit our website https://heritagemississauga.com/booklets-and-guides/ for your copies of our Cultural Heritage Guides as well as our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/HeritageMississauga for some of the many resources derived from our Cultural Heritage programs.

 

Don't forget to like, rate, and follow Heritage Bytes!

Commemorating Mississauga’s Cultural Heritage: THEIRstories with Gaya Nagendra - Part Two

This week Heritage Bytes returns for part two of Commemorating Mississauga’s Cultural Heritage with Gaya Nagendra. 

 

In this three-part series featuring Gaya Nagendra, we hear the inspiring immigration story of Gaya and her family from escaping persecution and the riots of 1983 in Sri Lanka, to settling into Canada and all of the challenges that Gaya and her family faced in adapting to a new country, language, and culture.

 

This program was made possible with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and provides opportunities for the cultural communities of Mississauga to preserve and celebrate their heritage contributions to the city and to develop ideas for ways to animate these important community milestones, and share them with the broader community. 

 

Heritage Mississauga Outreach Coordinator, Meghan Mackintosh interviewed many individuals from the diverse communities across Mississauga to capture THEIRstories. In this episode, Heritage Mississauga Social Media & Program Coordinator Kelly Ralston also speaks with Meghan on the inspiration, process, and outcomes of this important project.

 

We would like to thank Gaya for her willingness to share her personal stories with Heritage Mississauga. If you would like to share your stories, please contact Meghan at outreach@heritagemississauga.org.

 

Visit our website https://heritagemississauga.com/booklets-and-guides/ for your copies of our Cultural Heritage Guides as well as our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/HeritageMississauga for some of the many resources derived from our Cultural Heritage programs.

 

Don’t forget to like, review, and follow our podcast to stay up to date on all of the incredible programs we have lined up

Commemorating Mississauga’s Cultural Heritage: THEIRstories with Gaya Nagendra, Part One

This week Heritage Bytes will be bringing a little culture to Mississauga with our Commemorating Mississauga’s Cultural Heritage program. 

 

This program was made possible with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and provides opportunities for the cultural communities of Mississauga to preserve and celebrate their heritage contributions to the city and to develop ideas for ways to animate these important community milestones, and share them with the broader community. 

 

Heritage Mississauga Outreach Coordinator, Meghan Mackintosh interviewed many individuals from the diverse communities across Mississauga to capture THEIRstories. 

 

In recognition of Tamil Heritage Month, we are pleased to introduce our first episodes with a three-part series featuring Gaya Nagendra who shares her inspiring story of resilience and perseverance in escaping the riots in Sri Lanka in 1983 and her journey immigrating to Canada.  

 

Tune in each Monday at 4:00 p.m. throughout January to hear the lived-experiences of Gaya and her family.  

 

Don’t forget to like, review, and follow our podcast to stay up to date on all of the incredible programs we have lined up. 

 

We would like to thank Gaya for her willingness to share her personal stories with Heritage Mississauga. If you would like to share your stories, please contact Meghan at outreach@heritagemississauga.org 

 

Ask A Historian - On the Waterfront: the War of 1812

Join Historian Matthew Wilkinson for Ask A Historian on January 13, 2022!

This week Matthew welcomes Gurth Pretty, Director of HMS Psyche Canadian Maritime Heritage   Society, as they explore the fascinating history of the War of 1812, the iconic vessels that fought   during the conflict, and the battles that occurred right here on Lake Ontario.

 HMS Psyche Canadian Maritime Heritage Society is a registered not-for-profit corporation   dedicated to preserving and teaching the heritage and traditional maritime skills of the Great   Lakes, prior to Confederation.

The Society offers experiential education to all age groups, including static displays, historic   presentations, War of 1812 re-enactments and on-the-water seamanship. 

The Society is named in honour of the HMS Psyche. During the War of 1812, there was a naval   arms race on Lake Ontario. The British & Americans sought to build the biggest fleet to subdue   the other. 

One of the vessels the British built was named HMS Psyche.

The Holiday Special: Bloody Christmas, A True Crime Radio Drama

Welcome, dear listeners, to another tale of murder, scandal and crime from Mississauga’s darker side.

In today’s case, the destinies of two strangers, born oceans apart, collide in a chance meeting.  They walk a shared, crooked path that reaches its violent climax on Christmas night.

In the bleak mid-winter, on a midnight clear, a shotgun blast breaks through the silence of the night.

From the case files of Heritage Mississauga, this is A Very Merry Mississauga Confidential.

Mississauga Confidential is a Heritage Bytes podcast produced by Heritage Mississauga.

“The Bloody Christmas Radioplay” performed by: Greg Carraro, Scott Foster, Bryan Ho, Justine Lyn, Nicole Mair, Ryan Parks, Becky Rusk, Matthew Wilkinson and Joe Zammit.

Written by Bryan Ho and Nicole Mair.

Research by Bryan Ho, Nicole Mair, Matthew Wilkinson and John Eigl.

An adaptation of this story by Jenny Walker first appeared in the Heritage News.

Video Production Team: Bryan Ho, Nicole Mair and Ryan Parks.

 

Mississauga Confidential is a Heritage Mississauga production.  Heritage Mississauga is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to researching, recording and celebrating the history of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Your support helps create programming just like this.

 

For more information about Heritage Mississauga, and to become a member, please visit heritagemississauga.com and follow us on youtube, instagram and twitter.

 

And as always, thank you for listening.

 

Mississauga Confidential will return for season two in March 2022.

 

Music Credits:

“Bass Walker” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

 

“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Myuu (www.thedarkpiano.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

 

“Silent Night (Dark Piano Version)” by Myuu (www.thedarkpiano.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

 

Sound Effects:

The following sound effects are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

 

Canadian Horse Carriage (https://freesound.org/people/vero.marengere/sounds/450325/)

Creaking Floorboard (https://freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/101381/)

Footsteps on Wood (https://freesound.org/people/Fewes/sounds/234263/)

Gun-shot Gun (https://freesound.org/people/Shades/sounds/37237/)

Horse-Drawn Carriage Approach and Stop (https://freesound.org/people/Sirderf/sounds/333680/)

Horse Whinny (https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/419231/)

Lantern Clatter (https://freesound.org/people/Fjordly/sounds/532876/)

Large Knife Drop (https://freesound.org/people/Project_Trident/sounds/140321/)

Shotgun Pumping (https://freesound.org/people/shaana/sounds/222131/)

Winter Winds (https://freesound.org/people/UrsaDaBear/sounds/400992/)

Winter Wind Gusts (https://freesound.org/people/TRP/sounds/577339/)

 

Additional sound effects are in the public domain and can be found at freesound.org.

 

Clips from “Suspense” (1940-1962) radio drama are in the public domain and can be found at archive.org.

 

Ask A Historian: Remembering the Whitehead Brothers of Malton

Join Historian Matthew Wilkinson for Ask A Historian on December 16, 2021. This week Matthew welcomes Samantha Thompson, Archivist at Peel Art Gallery, Museum & Archives (PAMA), as they explore the fascinating history of the Whitehead brothers who served in the First World War. Samantha discusses the journey she had taken to research the story of these three brothers and their different experiences while serving during the First World War.

Their incredible story is featured in a Blog written by Samantha and explores the familial ties, controversies, challenges, physical and psychological impacts of war, and ultimately the losses that can devastate a family. Samantha Thompson is an archivist at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum, and Archives where she is particularly interested in revealing the records and lives of ordinary people. She has also worked on collections at McMaster University and the Dundas Museum & Archives. Before training as an archivist, Samantha completed a doctorate in the history of philosophy, and taught in academia.  Ask A Historian will continue to air during our usual time every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. and we invite you to spend a little downtime over the holidays exploring the history and heritage of our beautiful city.