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7 | Friday, February 24, 20 17 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com M yView B lack History M onth celebrates C an ad a^ rich black-C anadian history very February we celebrate the many remarkable achievements and contribu tions made by black Canadians in Oakville North-Burlington and across Canada during Black History Month. In 1995, the House of Commons officially rec ognized February as Black History Month in Can ada following a motion introduced by the first black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine. The motion was carried unanimously, offi cially recognizing our nation's black history and black citizens whose contributions helped make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous nation it is today. In 2015, as an Oakville town councillor, I led the initiative to name the August Civic Holiday Emancipation Day in Oakville to recognize the Towns ties to the underground railroad. E Pam D am off Oakville North-Burlington MP Oakville was once an official port of entry into Canada, welcoming ships from the United States, many of which carried hidden black stow-aways in search of freedom on Canadian soil. Today, Oakville is home to many sites of histor ic significance, from the black cemetery in Bronte to the home of Captain Robert Wilson, a Great Lakes ship captain operating out of Oakville who helped black slaves escape to freedom as part of the Underground Railroad. The Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate is the permanent home of The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Freedom -- an innovative multimedia presentation that celebrates the heritage of black Canadians in our community The Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH), under the leadership of Veronica Tyrell, works to provide outreach to schools with programs based in the history of black heritage and culture. Canada 150 grants will help the association enhance the community' s knowledge of different cultures and increase the appreciation of all cul tures that make up diverse communities across the Halton region like Oakville. Whether it is educating citizens about the role Oakville played in the Underground Railroad, helping to organize Oakville's annual Emancipa tion Day Family Picnic or working towards the preservation, understanding and enjoyment of the Caribbean culture and performing arts while assisting new citizens from the Caribbean settle in Canada, the CCAH is dedicated to improving our community for all of us. Black History Month is an opportunity to ap preciate and celebrate the contributions of black Canadians to the settlement, growth and develop ment of Canada. I am grateful to both the Oakville Museum and CCAH for their efforts to share the amazing con tributions of black Canadians and celebrate the cultural impacts of black Canadians in the arts, economy, and society both locally and nationally; -- Pam Damoff is the Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington. Her office is located at 2525 Old Bronte Road, Suite 590, Oakville. Tel: 905.847.4043. Website: MPDamoff.ca Email: pam.damoff@parl.gc.ca. Residents invited to airplane noise public consultation meeting March 2 A public consultation on airplane noise will be held on Thursday, March 2, in the main room of St. Luke's Community Centre, 3114 Dundas St. W, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This is the third of four consultation periods in the Toronto Airspace Noise Review. It is being done by Helios, an aviation consulting company based in the United Kingdom (U.K.) with exten sive knowledge and involvement with aviation noise issues at many major airports. Air traffic noise became a big problem for Oakville residents in 2012, when NAV Canada (a privately-run, nonprofit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system) made changes to the flight paths for airplanes. Anyone who would like to register a complaint about airplane noise can call the Toronto Pearson Noise Office by phone at 416-247-7682 or visit Toronto Pearson Airport website at: https://torontopearson.com/noisemanagement/#. Bhandari Family Dentistry returns to Oakville BRiNG iN YOUR FAMILY FOR A CHECK-UP AT OUR NEW MODERN CLiNIC Dr. Bhandari is an advocate of oral health with 31 years of experience. He and his team pride themselves for their professional and comprehensive approach to dentistry. Dr. Bhandari has proudly worked with a number of celebrities throughout his career, helping them maintain their red carpet worthy smiles! Customer care is our core concern. Whether you're looking for general maintenance, regular check-up treatments or cosmetic dentistry, we can help. Give Dr. Bhandari a call to book your appointment or consultation. DR. B h a n d a r i welcomes Jody Johnson, his new Hygienist. With many years of experience, Jody looks forward to treating her former and new patients. A IR P O R T H IM $45 OAKVILLE'S LOWEST RATES!! DR. ViNEET BHANDARi BScDIH DDS 9 0 5 .3 2 5 .5 1 1 0 M o n d a y to Friday 7:30 - 5:00. Evening and Saturday appointments available. Palerm o Professional C entre 2525 Old Bronte Rd., Suite 470 Oakville (at Dundas Street) · www.bhandaridental.com