On February 24, 2022, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and John Ecker, Chair of the Ontario Heritage Trust, presented projects and individuals who made exceptional contributions to heritage conservation with the 2021 Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards. The ceremony was held virtually.

Created in 2006, the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards are annual juried awards administered by the Ontario Heritage Trust to recognize remarkable achievements in heritage conservation across the province. These inspirational achievements signal the important role that heritage conservation plays in Ontario’s communities.

Accepting the award for the Freedom Project at Heritage Hall by the Guelph Black Heritage Society, was the Waterloo Catholic District School Board’s Denise Francis. Denise serves as GBHS president.

The “Freedom Project” was an extensive renovation, conservation and restoration of the Heritage Hall (originally known as the British Methodist Episcopal Church). The Heritage Hall was built in 1880 by formerly enslaved Black individuals and their descendants who came to Canada from the United States via the “underground railroad”.

The project included an addition, which provides universal accessibility, and was designed as a sustainable building, using recycled materials where possible, looking for sustainability improvements during the building process, and prioritizing energy efficiency.

In addition, the project features a pollinator garden at the front of the building. The Norwood Francis Memorial Garden (named for Denise’s late father) features native, pollinator-friendly plants. Pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are negatively impacted by habitat loss and fragmentation, which is especially relevant in areas like southern Ontario, with large amounts of agricultural and city development.

As our #WCDSBAwesome @WCDSBNewswire schools continue celebrating Black History Month, we proudly congratulate Denise and the Guelph Black Heritage Society for this extraordinary accomplishment, and very well deserved recognition!

About the Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS)

About the 2021 Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards

About Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools