Jamaica Association of Montreal to host Heroes banquet

Mental health and wellness is to be the theme of this year’s Heroes and Heroines Banquet, hosted by the Jamaica Association of Montreal on Saturday in Decarie, Montreal. The annual event highlights achievements of Jamaicans who contribute significantly to the Caribbean diaspora in Canada.

This year, three Jamaicans, Audley Coley, Brian Smith and Kirk Gayle will be honoured at the function. Coley will receive recognition for his work in mental health, Brian Smith for contributions to financial literacy and Kirk Gayle for supporting youth in their academic endeavours.

Sharon Nelson, director of communications and media relations said, “We are remembering our heroes and recognising those who do good work in Montreal.” She emphasised the need for this year’s focus on mental health.

“This is another step of normalising, within the Jamaican community, to speak openly about mental health. We have had a number of events and we are currently in talks with the Jewish General Hospital and the Children’s Hospital that focus on this matter in the black community,” she said.“Our speaker is Vassell O’Gilvie, who is a licensed clinical social worker and his presentation will centre (on) mental wellness in the black community and his practice,”Nelson added.

O’Gilvie who is originally from Porus in Manchester, migrated to Canada in the late 1970s, and now lives in the United States.

Speaking to his message for the community, Ogilvie shared that, “the banquet symbolises progress, respect for those who have laid down the foundation for us to follow. We are honouring a great humanitarian from Montreal who recently passed away Mr. Noel Alexander O.D and who was the past president of the Jamaica Association of Montreal Inc for more than 34 years. He had a great impact on my life. The banquet also symbolises that heroes are living people who work every day to better society at large”.