Several people have asked us about winning the grant to be a part of BAND/TD Then & Now’s Black History Month Series 2014. WHM Treasurer Barb Stewart explains how it came to pass:
“Last July, I noticed an item in the Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa (CHOO | COPO) newsletter about the TD Then and Now Black History Month series. They mentioned they were taking applications for projects. At that time, we had been working for six months on a project about Cal Best, a cofounder of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) who went on to become Canada’s first black High Commissioner. We decided to apply and were juried in to the final selection.
We were successful and received funding to help us take this project beyond Ottawa. Events will be held during Black History Month in Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver during February with one in March in Montreal.
Without the announcement in the newsletter we would not have known about this funding source or been able to bring Cal Best’s story to a wider audience.”
Our event in Ottawa starts at 7 p.m. on February 25th at the Ottawa Public Library, featuring a screening of the documentary and a panel discussion with Stephen Best (Cal Best’s son), the filmmakers, and representatives of Ottawa’s Black community. The evening will be hosted by CBC Anchorman Adrian Harewood. This event is jointly hosted by the Ottawa Public Library, BAND, TD Then & Now, the Douglas Coldwell Foundation, and the Workers’ History Museum.