Local Heroes 2020
A focus on essentials: Profiles of the folks who kept us all going in 2020.
A lot of us may have spent much of 2020 in isolation, but there is no question that getting through a pandemic is a group effort – a reality reflected in our annual salute to local heroes. Usually, we compile our list as a good news story, showcasing individuals who tend to be leaders making a difference in our community. But how do you choose just a few heroes in a year that is chockablock with them?
This year our picks are representative of the team efforts that brought out the best in one another in service to us all. For some, the role is unexpected or new. For others, crisis management and essential work has always been their jam, though the intensity of this storm may have tested their limits.
From health care and social service workers to school staff and grocery clerks among many others, hundreds across our hills are putting themselves at risk and continuing to adapt. We are so fortunate to have them.
While health and survival are obviously essential, so too is our social well-being. We Canadians like to crow about our peaceful, multiracial makeup, yet there remain too many untended corners where hate and racism can hide. The Black Lives Matter movement has inspired young people in Headwaters – local heroes, all – to rise up, aiming to build a more just society. What could be more essential than that?
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Call of Duty: Headwaters Health Care Centre
Nov 24, 2020 | | Local HeroesManager Lena Bruce, physician Charlie Joyce and nurse Darlene Fitzpatrick kept Headwaters Health Care Centre’s Covid-19 assessment centre going during the pandemic.
The New Hope: Local Black Lives Matter Organizers
Nov 24, 2020 | | Local HeroesThese four young women (plus one younger sister) were the moving force behind two crucial local social justice marches – one in Orangeville and one in Shelburne.
A Community Steps Up: Orangeville Food Bank
Nov 24, 2020 | | Local HeroesWhen the pandemic caused a spike in need, executive director Heather Hayes and a small army of staff and volunteers worked overtime.
Class Acts: Our Educators
Nov 24, 2020 | | Local Heroes“At Belfountain Public School and beyond, teachers, principals, custodians and support staff got our kids learning again in classrooms and online.”
The Need Doesn’t Stop: Family Transition Place
Nov 24, 2020 | | Local HeroesWith everyone stuck together at home during the pandemic, conflicts escalated and this team went into high gear to help new clients.
Keeping Food on our Tables: Grocery Workers
Nov 24, 2020 | | Local HeroesWe salute the newly minted essential workers at Foodland in Caledon East and across our region for working overtime in the aisles for us.
Up to the Task
Nov 24, 2020 | | CommunityFour members of Shelburne’s Anti-Black Racism, Anti-Racism and Discrimination Task Force discuss their mission and the vision they have for Shelburne.
Pandemic Journals
Jun 25, 2020 | | Pandemic JournalsWe thank everyone who shared a glimpse of their lives with us.