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The Honorable Greg Fergus '86 joins SHS for Black History Month!

Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada and Member of Parliament for Hull-Aylmer since October 2015, Greg Fergus ’86, returned to Selwyn House School on February 22 in honour of Black History Month. He is committed to the black community and helped create the Black Caucus in Canadian Parliament and served as its Chair for several years before stepping down in 2022. In 2020 while still Chair, Fergus helped to develop calls to action for fighting systemic racism and deliver them to the Trudeau government. He also served as a role model  and mentor for other black politicians entering federal politics. He spoke to students and staff with a resounding message about the importance of seeking diversity in order to get the most out of life.

Mr. Fergus started his day with Grade 2 students. The initial plan was to read the story of Viola Desmond (someone that he and the Black Caucus recommended as an inspirational Canadian hero for the ten-dollar bill). However, the boys were so excited and curious, they spent the whole time asking him questions about himself and what his job entails. One student even asked about NATO! All adults in the room were impressed with the boys and their questions. Mme Blais then asked what his biggest takeaway from Selwyn House School was, and his answer would make any Selwyn staff member proud. He responded that VERITAS values had been a pillar in his life since attending the school and credits part of his success to these core values. Mr. Fergus left the talk adorned with a gift from a student on his hand– a Pokemon sticker. Clearly, he left a great impression on them! 
 
Next on the agenda, Mr. Fergus spoke at the Middle and the Senior School assemblies. He spoke of his time at Selwyn House and how his education here was fundamental to his success, giving him the tools to navigate implicit bias’ with unapologetic confidence. He credits two teachers at Selwyn House School that greatly impacted his life giving him a love for Shakespeare, science and running. The first was the late Dr. Byron Harker, who taught English, and who, despite his hard exterior, truly cared for his students. He pushed them to master the language teaching students like Fergus to communicate efficiently and confidently. The second was Mr. Brad Moffat, the Senior Science teacher and Cross-Country Running coach. Mr. Moffat shared his passion and love for science and running with his students. To this day, Fergus still goes for long-distance runs and continues to read science journals for fun. 
 
Mr. Fergus concluded the Middle School assembly with several thoughts for the students to reflect upon. “The way you look at history", he said, "is what you value now. This dictates what you choose to see from the past.” He encouraged the students to seek out different perspectives to inspire "bilingualism of the mind, to make your world more colourful." Finally, he spoke about the importance of Black History Month, that it is a step in the right direction and that reflecting on the past, present, and future is critical to honouring and celebrating black culture. Hopefully, one day, it can extend to all months.

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