Dashon Baptiste is a 2020 Graduate of Center Dufferin District High School who was awarded the province of Ontario's highest honor. The Ontario Scholar is awarded to high school students who attain an average of 80% or greater in their six best Grade 12 courses.

The Dufferin County Canadian Black Association is very proud of this young scholar. We wish Dashon continued success as he continues on his pursuit of academic excellence during his Post Secondary years.

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It’s not just a job, it’s a career with meaning.

Submit your cv to Anshu Pabla apabla@cldufferin.ca

Check out the job listing on our EMPLOYMENT page

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Advisory Committee

Oct 23rd, 2020 By rwhelan

October 23, 2020 The County of Dufferin has recently established its first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Advisory Committee (DEICAC);to advise County Council, make recommendations and provide a monitoring and measuring role to help ensure that the County applies a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to its policies, services and programs.

The DEICAC will work closely with the County of Dufferin staff Diversity and Inclusion Committee and County senior leadership. The purpose of this committee is to foster cooperation that will allow a clear understanding of the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion work happening within the organization at a staff level. Their role is also to assist with identifying and creating strategies that will ultimately result in a more diverse and inclusive workplace that is able to offer programs and services that meet the needs of an increasingly diverse community. A key part of the strategy work for the committee will be to provide advice and recommendations on the development and content of a new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy which shall include an annual work plan with clear actions and measurable goals and objectives.The Terms of Reference is available on the County website.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Advisory Committee members are:

Councillor Steve Anderson

Councillor Sandy Brown

Councillor Laura Ryan

Community Members:

Althea Casamento

Krisma Chahal

Jordan Dedier

Phil Dewar

Sabina Greenly

Christie Lazo

Trisha Linton

Alethia O'Hara-Stephenson

Preeya Rateja

Jim Waddington

Representatives from the Staff D&I Committee:

Angela Pollard

Kareema Sookdeo

The Committee is currently scheduled to meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm via zoom. The first meeting will take place on November 11th and will include a training session to ensure a common understanding around how the committee will conduct its diversity, inclusion and equity work. It is anticipated that additional training will take place at various intervals.

Contacts:

Michelle Dunne, Deputy Clerk

Dufferin County

519-941-2816 x 2504

mdunne@dufferincounty.ca

Click here to view the original press release.

Headline News

Shelburne teen launches new clothing label OOFII

October 22, 2020

Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

“OOFII”, it means rich and wealthy, and it’s also the name of a new clothing line started by a Shelburne teen.

“My family really relates with clothing, so it was just in the family bloodline to start a clothing [line],” Tyrell Harris told the Free Press.

Tyrell Harris is the local 16-year old entrepreneur behind the clothing line OOFII, which started up in February of this year. Harris, who was born in Brampton and later moved to the community with his family, is an avid basketball player and enjoys shopping in his free time. Looking for a way to secure his future, Harris decided to create his own clothing line, a decision he said didn’t take him long to make.

“I play basketball and one day if I don’t want to play basketball, I always wan’t to have another option other than basketball for my future, so I chose clothing,” said Harris.

First starting out with selling sports head bands with the brand’s name on them, that Harris said sold out after about two weeks, he quickly moved on to selling urban apparel such as tracksuits, sweaters and t-shirts.

Harris said that the first piece of clothing he designed for the brand after the head bands was a plain black sweater.

In the making of his brand and clothing line Harris has spoken candidly about his family being an inspiration. Watching the OOFII brand develop Shawn Harris, Tyrell’s dad, said it has been “amazing” to watch his son create his own clothing line.

“It’s amazing to see the support that he gets from the community, it’s amazing to see the support that he gets from friends and family and like he said, online, it’s been amazing,” said Shawn Harris. 

With OOFII starting up early in the year, it, like many businesses, had to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was a time that Harris said was tough.

“I ended up making a website during the pandemic and it’s been doing very good,” said Harris.

While the brand is still in its first year, Harris is looking towards the future for OOFII. He said he’s hoping to be available one-day worldwide, with a factory and a store.