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Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Scholarships awarded, new exhibit unveiled at Freedom Museum
Arson charge laid after fire at commercial building By Ron Giofu
The Amherstburg Freedom Museum awarded Melvin “Mac” Simpson and Maturine-Romain Awards last Thursday night. From left: Abigail Muwanga, Elijah Scott-Jackson, Deborah Oloyede, museum supporter Guy Logan, board member Cari-Lynn Ristic. Not pictured are aware winners Melia Afonso, Lily Mulder and Michelle Ezeokoronkwo.
By Ron Giofu The Amherstburg Freedom Museum opened its latest exhibit and awarded scholarships to deserving students last Thursday night. The museum opened “For Friends and Family: Social Organizing in Late-Nineteenth Century Amherstburg,” an exhibit created by university undergraduate student Max Bennett, who was selected for the Local Black History Internship Program which is in its second year. The internship program was created in partnership between the University of Windsor’s History Department and the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, though Bennett is now pursuing his Master’s Degree at the University of Western Ontario. Funding for this year’s internship program was secured by Dr. Gregg French and Dr. Robert Nelson of the University of Windsor’s History Department. Under the supervision
of Dr. Gregg French and Amherstburg Freedom Museum Assistant Curator Dr. Lorene Bridgen-Lennie, Bennett conducted independent research and used the Museum’s Family History Collection, along with sources from the Alvin D. McCurdy Fond (Archives of Ontario) and The Amherstburg Echo, to discuss the organizational work of persons of African descent in nineteenth-century Amherstburg. Bennett told the audience he has a love of history and wanted to do an exhibit on local families but that became difficult without discussing their social networks. The exhibit talks about such organizations that once existed, such as the King St. school, Social Literacy Society, the Amherstburg Literacy Association, the Oxford Club, Lincoln Lodge, the Frederic Douglass Self-Improvement Club, and the Buisy Gleaners among others.
A late night fire at a commercial building in Amherstburg has resulted in approximately $30,000$50,000 in damage and one arson charge. The Amherstburg Fire Department gave those estimates early Thursday afternoon after a fire the previous night at the corner of Alma St. and Sandwich St. S. Firefighters responded to the building that houses F45 and were dispatched around 11:41 p.m., said deputy fire chief Ron Meloche. “We arrived on scene with flames showing,” said Meloche. “We had the fire out shortly.” All three stations were called out with approximately 35 firefighters on scene. No firefighters were injured, Meloche pointed out. Meloche told the River Town Times last Thursday the cause was still under investigation. The Windsor Police Service – Amherstburg Detachment was also investigating the blaze to see whether or not there was any possible criminal activity. “It’s being investigated by Windsor police,” said Meloche. “They attended the scene (Thursday) morning.”
Continued on Page 15 LOFTS AT ST. ANTHONY - CIRCA 1911
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A fire at the corner of Sandwich St. S. and Alma St. saw damage to a commercial building and an arson charge laid against a 31-year-old male PHOTO BY DOMINIC D’ALESSANDRO JR. suspect.
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