On Saturday, October 21st, 2023, the first Afro Caribbean youth awards were held to recognize and celebrate youth living in Grey and Bruce Counties.
The award ceremony took place at the Davidson Centre in Kincardine and featured several speakers including Dwayne Morgan, a two-time Canadian National Poetry Slam Champion, Pastor Wonder Chimvinga of the Pine River United Church, and children’s author and Optometrist Dr. Maureen Oyaide-Ofenor.
Michael W. Rencheck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bruce Power also spoke to the crowd and presented the “Bruce Power Leadership Award” to a youth that consistently embodies the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, inspires, and empowers others and is a champion of change and opportunity for all. This award was presented to Bronwen Boals, a graduate of École Kincardine District Senior School and the Social Service Worker program at George Brown College.
Rencheck also made an announcement that Bruce Power will be providing five-hundreddollar scholarships to 5 Afro Caribbean youth to support them in their future educational goals. Both the MC for the evening, Maya Hunter, as well as our Deputy Mayor, Andrea Clarke, presented the awards to the following children and youth to recognize and celebrate their achievements:
Deputy Mayor Clarke also presented an award to Maya Hunter, for her leadership throughout the evening as the youth MC for the event.
The Municipality of Kincardine would like to thank the following organizations for sponsoring the Afro Caribbean awards:
• Gold Sponsors: Bruce Power, Municipality of Kincardine
• Silver Sponsor: Vine Eye Care, Walkerton
• Bronze Sponsors: NPX, I ♥ My Work, Michael Hueftlein, Sargent & Lundy, 2mPower, Grey Bruce Immigration Partnership
We would also like the acknowledge the planning group that planned and implemented the awards.
• École Kincardine District Senior School – Watson Morris Municipality of Kincardine – Deputy Mayor Clarke and Lorie Fioze
• Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre – Evan Vatri
• Grey Bruce Immigration Partnership – May Ip
• Bruce County Public Library – Michaela Posthumus
• Vine Eye Care Walkerton, Dr. Maureen Oyaide-Ofenor
• Community residents – Jennifer Hunter, Deborah Jones, Sherisse Egbochuku
Deputy Mayor Clarke ended the evening with the following closing remark, “Irrespective of your start in life your destiny is not pre-defined but will be determined by the choices you make, so make good choices.”
