Kettleby Public School celebrates Black History Month
By Jon Yaneff

Mayor Margaret Black, Kettleby Public School Principal Fiona Allan, York Region District School Board Superintendent Cecil Roach and Community and Cultural Services Liaison Paul DeLyon were all on hand during an assembly at the school Monday for the unveiling of a poster dedicated to Walter Rolling.

Kettleby Public School celebrated February as Black History Month, along with King Township's strong African heritage, with the focus on the life former King teacher and innovator Walter Rolling at an assembly Monday.

A poster of Rolling was unveiled to mark the occasion, as several guests were in attendance, including Mayor Margaret Black, York Region District School Board Superintendent Cecil Roach, community and cultural services liaison Paul DeLyon, King Township Museum Program Co-ordinator Heather Massey and Researcher Carl Finkle.

The museum originally unveiled a poster of Rolling Feb. 5.

The idea to celebrate Walter Rolling originated at Kettleby School and now every school in York Region has a poster to commemorate the former Laskay resident.

"When we talk of our heritage, we also talk about our community and each of our families is part of a larger community," said Elaine Robertson, a special education teacher at Kettleby and a chair of the King Township Heritage Committee. "In the late 1800s, the Rolling family played an important role in the King community and they have become part of its heritage."

Roach said Rolling taught for 41 years, starting in the late 1800s and he inspired many young people, which stands as a testimony to the community.

He served as the principal at a one-room school house in King City between 1895 and 1936. When he retired, there was a parade in his honour by his students and June 19 was named Walter Rolling Day.

"I'm absolutely honoured to celebrate an extraordinary person in Walter Rolling," said Black. "He is an inspiration to all of us by teaching us about community and the importance of all people having equality at a time where there were very few African Americans residing in King Township."

Massey and Finkle presented an insight into the life of Rolling, including his school days and teaching career, as well as his family history.

DeLyon said a year ago he promised Kettleby School there would be a day in which the African heritage and those who made a difference would be celebrated.

"I congratulate everybody who made this day possible," he said. "Heritage touches us all and African heritage month gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves of something truly unique. It doesn't happen anywhere else, but it does in the Greater Toronto Area, of which Kettleby is a part of.

"We live in the most multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-everything city in the world," he added. "We have the opportunity in Kettleby to teach these young people about these areas and it is their civic, moral responsibility to keep this grand experiment alive by learning who had an impact and who continues to have an impact in different cultures."