Trailblazer Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard inspires students to create change
It was a special day for students in Barrie as Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard of Nova Scotia spoke about the importance of Black history and the contributions of Black people in Canada and around the world.
Senator Bernard, a trailblazer and advocate for social change, spent the day at Bear Creek Secondary School, speaking with parents about generational barriers and inspiring Grade 10 students.
As the first Black Canadian to be a full-time professor at Dalhousie University, Senator Bernard has paved the way for future generations.
The Bear Creek Black Excellence Club is just one example of the positive changes occurring across the region. The club was created to celebrate Black excellence.
"We've never done anything like this before, so I feel like it's really good so that people can learn more about Black lives even if they've never actually gotten the chance to," said student and Bear Creek Black Club Excellence vice-president Jessica Avonyo.
Naesiah Shannon, the club's president, noted that the demographic is changing, with more people of different nations and ethnic backgrounds.
"So they've learned and changed and adapted to new perspectives," Shannon said.
Senator Bernard's message to those in attendance at the Barrie school Tuesday was clear: even small actions can have huge impacts.
"Everybody is critical, including young people," Senator Bernard said. "One of the things I was really trying to get across today to the young people was that you have a voice, you have a place in this work, you can bring about change," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.