5 “As an entrepreneur, I have done well financially starting from humble beginnings. When I look back, it seems that I did well by trying to do good,” said the co-founder of Flow 93.5FM, Canada’s first black-owned and operated radio station, and a former owner and publisher of Contrast, the groundbreaking black community newspaper in Toronto, which was founded in the late 1960s. Charting his history in Canada, Jolly said his first job was as a teacher in Sault Ste Marie and later in Toronto. He bought a rooming house near the University of Toronto and subsequently left teaching to go into the nursing home and small hotel business. These were all acquired while following his father’s advice: “Don’t work for anyone but yourself and always work to own property.” In 2021, he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada. A University of Toronto alumna, Orridge was recognised for being a pioneering healthcare leader and for her promotion of a more equitable and just health system, especially for marginalised, racialised and Indigenous communities. In a call to action, she urged the graduates to make a personal commitment to create inclusive spaces by keeping the air around them free of discrimination. “On a personal level, this means you will not accept things such as homophobia, sexism, ageism, ableism, and all the other isms in your presence or your earshot. This may sound easy. However, these types of personal commitments are often more challenging to uphold. A personal commitment means you will not let things fly under the radar, but will be open to having difficult conversations with family, friends, colleagues to uphold inclusion for all,” Orridge said. She served as CEO of several prominent local health organisations and co-founded the Canadian Home Care Association and Pathways to Education, a nationwide stay-in-school programme for disadvantaged high-school students. Purboo, a McMaster graduate, has over 25 years of experience in the media and telecommunications industries. He was the co-founder and CEO of QuickPlay Media – a company providing mobile media services to premium video service providers – and is now vice-president of Amazon Advertising. He has volunteered with many organisations including Virgin Unite, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and SickKids. Purboo has also shared his entrepreneurial skills and experience with McMaster students at The Forge, McMaster’s start-up accelerator. In 2006, he was named one of ‘Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 by Caldwell Partners and is a recipient of the University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor’s Award. Appelt is a retired Canadian Citizenship Court judge— the first female Afro-Canadian to serve in that position—and community volunteer who has spent her life working to improve the lives of children and families. She immigrated to Canada in 1966 and worked as a researcher inmedical biochemistry at McGill University for several years. Appelt holds a master’s degree in public policy and has spent her life working with numerous community and national organisations, including helping to found the Black-Jewish dialogue of B’Nai Brith Canada. She played an instrumental role in bringing the archives of iconic Jamaican-Canadian poet Louise Bennett-Coverley to the McMaster University Library. DEGREE CONTINUED FROM 4 PURBOO APPELT THE WEEKLY GLEANER | JULY 7 - AUGUST 6, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | ADVERTISEMENT
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