Scholars Education Peace River
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Today we continue our series of #blackhistorymonth profiles by looking at the life of Elijah McCoy. McCoy was born in 1844 in Colchester, Ontario, which is the southernmost community on mainland Canada and a destination for slaves escaping the U.S. via the Underground Railroad in the mid-19th century. At age 15 McCoy was sent to Edinburgh, Scotland where he was certified as a mechanical engineer. During his time in Scotland the McCoy family had moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan wh...ere his father George had started a tobacco and cigar business. Because there were limited opportunities for work in Ypsilanti related to his engineering degree, Elijah built a home-based machine shop where he started developing improvements and inventions. One of his first inventions was an automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines which he patented in 1872. This enabled trains to run faster and more profitably since they didn't need to stop for maintenance as often. At that time he had produced more patents than any other black inventor. He continued to invent into his later years and obtained 57 patents including a folding ironing board and a lawn sprinkler. In 2001 McCoy was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Virginia, and he has a street name and a Patent Office named after him in Detroit, Michigan. #elijahmccoy #blackhistory #blackhistoryfacts See more

Happy Valentine’s day! This February we’ve been asking our students what they love about Scholars. Take a look at what some of them had to say!

It is said that in the animal kingdom skunks love Valentine's Day the most, because they're Scent-imental creatures. Aside from the many corny jokes such as that, Valentine's Day is a perfect opportunity to show your loved ones how much you care for them. Whether it's breakfast in bed, exchanging love letters, cooking together, having a game night or holding hands on a hike, there are many ways that you can make today happy and memorable. This past year has made it challengin...g to see our friends, it may also be a good idea to celebrate Valentine's Day in the style of many Latin American countries where the holiday is known as 'Día del amor y la amistad' (day of love and friendship). Not only do couples exchange flowers, candy and gifts on this day, but the focus is also directed at showing gratitude to friends! We hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day!#valentinesday #valentines #valentinesday2021 See more

As we continue our series of profiles for #blackhistorymonth, today we shine the spotlight on Dr. Anderson Abbot. Abbot was the first Canadian-born Black person to graduate from medical school, and after being licensed in 1861 to practice medicine he became the first Canadian-born Black doctor in the country. His parents, Wilson and Ellen, were from Mobile, Alabama where they owned a general store in the 1830s. During that time the city passed a law that required all free Bla...ck persons to provide bonds signed by two white men as proof of the free person's good behaviour. Wilson and Ellen refused to abide with this law and moved the family to Toronto. Abbot was born and grew up excelling in school which in 1858 led him to study at the Toronto School of Medicine (which later became the University of Toronto). During that time he had a placement with Alexander Augusta, who was the first Black doctor in North America and the head of Toronto City Hospital (now Toronto General Hospital). Abbott would return to the USA during the Civil War to apply his medical services to the troops, and also acted as a surgeon in several Washington DC hospitals that served the Union forces. He even provided care for President Abraham Lincoln during that time. For his services he was appointed "Aide-de-camp", which at the time was the highest military honour ever bestowed on a Black person in North America. After returning to Canada he became an important member of the Black community in Toronto and was a strong public advocate for integrated schools. He died in 1913 at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy of success, generosity, and inspiration.#blackhistory #blackhistoryfacts #andersonabbott #andersonruffinabbott See more