Ontario celebrates 1 Lincoln Alexander Day at Queen’s Park

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2014

Ontario celebrates 1st Lincoln Alexander Day at Queen’s Park

(Queen’s Park) – January 21, 2014 marked the first ever Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario.

Lincoln Alexander Day was established by the passage of Bill 125, An Act to Proclaim Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario, 2013.

Bill 125 was a Private Member’s Bill brought forward by Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott and was co-sponsored by Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon and NDP MPP Paul Miller. It was tabled in the Legislature on October 31, 2013 and was passed into law less than a month later, on November 28. It designated January 21 of each year as Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario.

To mark the day, Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor David Onley hosted a ceremony at Queen’s Park to present the Lincoln M. Alexander Award for youth leadership in eliminating racial discrimination. Mr. Arnott attended the event.

At the ceremony, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Michael Coteau acknowledged the role of the opposition parties in the passage of Bill 125, and noted the importance of all parties working together.

The Lincoln M. Alexander Award was presented to Saba Oji, Nathalie Restoule, and Talisha Ramsaroop.

Ms. Oji was recognized for her efforts at Waterloo Collegiate Institute in promoting multiculturalism, and for encouraging students to volunteer with the English as a Second Language Program.

Ms. Restoule is a singer/songwriter from Dokis First Nation who was honoured for her work combatting racism through the establishment of the Near North District School Board’s first Aboriginal Youth Council.

Ms. Ramsaroop established Make Noise for Social Change, an organization in the Jane and Finch area of Toronto which works with students to encourage them to finish school, gives a voice to urban youth, and works to eliminate barriers caused by discrimination.

“I’m glad that Lincoln Alexander Day could be designated to honour such deserving recipients for their important work in their communities,” said Mr. Arnott. “This is a great way to honour Lincoln Alexander’s legacy and to continue to promote the values that Linc stood for.”

– 30 –

Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org