Participate in Town of Oakville programs celebrating Indigenous history, Pride, Parks and Seniors during June.
“We invite residents to kick off summer and participate in these month-long celebrations with programs and activities offered by the town,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. “This is a great opportunity to learn more, stay active and be engaged in our community.”
National Indigenous History Month
Chris Stoate
Tannery Park First Nations History
One of a sequence of plaques commemorating the history of First Nations in the Oakville area installed by Town of Oakville at Tannery Park
The Town of Oakville resides on the treaty lands and traditional territory of the Mississaugas, Neutral, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. In recognition of National Indigenous History Month, residents are encouraged to:
- Walk along the Moccasin Trail and explore the history of the lands from an Indigenous perspective by following the Moccasin Trail along Sixteen Mile Creek Inner Valley to Dundas Street West at Lions Valley and along the water's edge in Tannery Park. There are information signs along those routes.
- Participate in the virtual program Planting our Seeds, led by local urban Indigenous leaders Jody Harbour and Sherry Saevil. Residents participate on Thursdays from 6 p.m. until June 17 or watch recorded sessions on the town’s YouTube Channel.
- Explore Your Roots at Library and Archives Canada: Starting Your First Nations, Inuit & Métis Nation Genealogy – On Monday, June 21, Oakville Public Library (OPL) celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day with Archives Canada. Participants will learn about First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation genealogy resources and how to access these collections.
Town of Oakville will install Land acknowledgement plaques at Town Hall and all community centres acknowledging the enduring presence and deep traditional knowledge, laws and philosophies of the Indigenous people with whom today we share this land.
Pride Month
Unsplash
- Display or wear a rainbow to show your support. Throughout June, the rainbow flag will fly at Town Hall to recognize Pride Month and Oakville’s LGBTQ2S+ community.
- Walk on Oakville’s first-ever rainbow crosswalks, which will be installed on Lakeshore Road at the intersections of Navy Street, Kerr Street and Bronte Road by the end of June.
- Watch CHILD-ish, a verbatim play drawn from interviews with children about love and dating. Children’s exact words are re-contextualized into adult situations for adult actors, with surprising, hilarious and moving results. Visit oakvillecentre.ca for tickets to the virtual launch on June 22.
- Join OPL and the dynamic duo of Fay & Fluffy for a unique storytime on Saturday, June 19 at 11 a.m. to celebrate Pride Month. Using books, songs and laughter, Fay & Fluffy are proud to support the LGBTQ2S+ community and their families by providing a fun, safe and inclusive virtual event.
Recreation and Parks Month
This year’s Recreation and Park Month's programming focuses on activities that can be enjoyed individually or in small family groups.
Pending Ontario’s reopening plan, Oakville is hopeful to safely welcome residents to its outdoor pools this June. Stay tuned!
M Painchaud
Oakville Trafalgar community center
Oakville Trafalgar community center
- Join us on Wednesday, June 23 at 9 a.m. for a virtual tree dedication ceremony at the former hospital site (now Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre) to remember lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and pay tribute to our dedicated first responders. Visit the COVID-19 Tree Dedication Virtual Ceremony page for more details.
- Get active and creative in our virtual drop-in activities at active.oakville.ca.
Seniors Month “Stay Safe, Active and Connected”
- Oakville Seniors are invited to Seniors Month Virtual Celebration on Thursday, June 17 at 1 p.m. with friends from Elora, Milton, Niagara Falls, Oakville and Rockwood. This free event celebrates seniors' fantastic contributions and features a Mayors' Welcome, Finding Joy motivational speaker Cheryl Watkin, and special musical guest, the Fiddlestix. Pre-registration is required.
- Join the Without Walls (WOW) phone-based program on Tuesday, June 22 at 10 a.m. for an informative Elder Abuse Prevention session promoting tips, resources and services that help increase senior safety and well-being. Call 1-866-279-1594 and use passcode 809666# to join virtually. WOW also hosts daily chats on various topics, including chair yoga and mindfulness and meditation.
- Help older adults stay connected with our two OPL Connection Kits. These kits provide Oakville residents 55 years old and older with technology devices to stay connected with friends and family and access accessible reading materials. Oakville Public Libraries have more information.
- Get active and creative this summer by browsing the summer recreation and culture program. Activities include pilates for seniors, line dancing, watercolour painting and more.
Please remember to follow Provincial regulations and public health guidelines when participating in activities in the community. Please keep a two-metre distance from others and wear a mask when physical distancing is challenging.
These initiatives embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. National Indigenous History Month, Pride Month, Recreation and Parks Month and Seniors Month promote a culture of inclusion by providing accessible and equitable programs, services and facilities to residents and employees.
For more information, visit Celebrate June.
