For the next several weeks, this column will feature founding members of the new Unity Collective, a town-sanctioned group that aims to provide advice to council and the community on addressing systemic racism and diversity in Collingwood.
Sharing stories is one of the key ways Collingwood can start to tackle racism at home, says a long-time community member.
For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we spoke with with Sylvia Wilson, 66, a member of the Unity Collective.
Q: For how long have you lived in Collingwood?
A: All my life.
I have different ancestral lines I can trace, but the farthest back in Canada, I’m seventh generation.
(My sister and I) live in our parents’ home. My grandparents once lived across the street.
My sister, brother and I went to Victoria School and Collingwood Collegiate Institute.
After that, I went to Georgian College to become a legal secretary.
I also studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Q: What did you do for work?
A: I had always wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved animals, but I couldn’t put them to sleep.
I was always interested in the law, and (being a legal secretary) was a foothold in.
After that I worked for a secretarial service.
Q: You’re a director at the Heritage Community Church. How did that come about?
A: The church was built in 1876. It would have been back in our great-grandparents’ days. Our grandparents grew up in that church, and our parents did.
Originally, it was built for the comfort of the Black community because they weren’t accepted into the white churches. It’s always been a community church – people considered it ‘The Little Coloured Church on Seventh Street.’
We always had a mixed congregation. Today, we’re very much the minority in the coloured church. (laughs)
Q: How did you first hear about the Unity Collective, and what made you want to join up?
A: It started back in February. We were doing some Black history presentations and one of our guest speakers at the church was Dr. Jean Augustine. We had invited Mayor Brian Saunderson to attend to bring greetings on behalf of the town.
He briefly talked with us after that presentation and asked us what could be done here in Collingwood to address some of these issues, and what the issues were.
Later on, Dean Collver with the town contacted us. We agreed that things needed to be addressed and we offered to be of some support.
The Black Lives Matter protests that happened here showed there is a need, and there are concerns.
Q: What kinds of things could be done locally to help address racism in the community?
A: I think we have to look at who is in the community. You can’t just address racism if you don’t know who is being targeted and what the racism is directed at.
People see us because our brown faces stick out in the crowd, but there are a lot of non-visible communities out there as well, like from European countries, or from different backgrounds or religions. They see us and identify with us because they understand we’ve gone through difficulties.
We’ve heard, ‘I can’t go to a store because my English isn’t good,’ or someone says they can’t figure out how to fill out a form and ask us for help.
They come to us because we’re so visible. We’re so verbal I think they know we can speak up for them.
I think we need to bring some of those people out. They don’t want to come out and tell their stories because they’re afraid. I think those stories still need to be told.
It’s hard to fix those (situations) if you don’t have those stories.
Q: Would you feel comfortable sharing situations of racism you’ve experienced in your life?
A: Our (family’s) restaurant business in Collingwood, Sheffield Cedar Inn and Tourist Resort, was a thriving business. We served a lot of Black tourists from the U.S. because they were looking for a safe place here in Canada. This was back in the 1950s/1960s.
When the highway was widened they took our parking lot and damaged our well and water. They said they didn’t even know we were there. There was no conversation about expropriation or anything.
My grandmother, who was widowed by then, she had to go fight the highway department and public works. She was 80 years old. She had to take them to court to get compensation for her business.
My uncle Howard started the Sheffield Park Black History Museum back in 1990.
He had applied for a highway sign [to help people find the park]. We qualified, as they were provincial signs.
We asked a committee of the town for permission, and we were told we didn’t fit the image. What image were we supposed to fit? We were denied the sign. Grey County gave us a sign, but Collingwood wouldn’t.
When we were growing up in school... they would sing ‘darky’ songs or southern songs. My mom would ask our teachers why they were singing these songs. The teacher would say, ‘if it bothers them, we can have them stand out in the hallway.’
I once wrote a paper in high school and got an F. I asked the teacher what was wrong with it. She said I must have plagiarized it because there was no possible way I could ever write anything like that.
We’ve had a lot of things (happen), but you learn how to meet it and rise above it. You don’t take it, at least we don’t take it. But you do it in a way that doesn’t change our own integrity or make us look like we’re belligerent or just radicals.
You make the changes yourself. There is racism out there, but we can’t be hateful or bitter.
Q: What are your hopes for the Unity Collective?
A: I hope we are able to look at Collingwood beyond just being a tourist town.
I want us to be seen as a diverse town with our citizens being all different, but working together.
I want the people of Collingwood to see that... minorities aren’t seen as just background, and are included as part of the town. I’d like to see all of us represented, and all of us stand up as participating citizens.
For our feature People of Collingwood, we’ll be speaking with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way, letting them tell their own stories in their own words. This feature will run on CollingwoodToday every Saturday. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone to be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].
