Simcoe County Historical Association

Preserving the Past, In the Present, For the Future

2026 Andrew Hunter Award Recipients

LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN HISTORY AWARD

L-R: Narasi Rengasamy, Krishna Venugopalakrishnan, Sanjiit Narasimhan, Chair Deb Crawford, Lilah White, Sydney Hodge

Two students win SCHA’s 2026 Andrew Hunter Essays in Canadian History Award

BARRIE, October 24:

On October 24th, during an afternoon ceremony at the Royal Canadian Legion, Angus Branch 49, it was truly an honour for Simcoe County Historical Association to present Sanjit Narasimhan and Lilah White with the 2026 Andrew Hunter Awards for excellence in essay writing on a Simcoe County topic. Sanjit, now in Grade 12, selected the topic “The Land Remembers: Indigenous Values and the Making of Simcoe County” while Lilah, a Grade 10 student, shared her research on Myths and Folklore in Simcoe County.

Both students at Barrie North Collegiate, the winners received cash prizes as well as a copy of The History of Simcoe County, the book written by Andrew F. Hunter, the award’s namesake. Andrew Hunter was a co-founder of the SCHA. His book, one of the earliest to be published in Ontario, remains an essential read for young historians today.

Originally, the award was offered to post-secondary Canadian History students at Laurentian University’s Barrie Campus. In 2020, the award was retooled to focus on history students at high schools across Simcoe County with the award widened further in 2026 to include secondary students of all ages.

Simcoe County History Association (SCHA) believes that if you want people to preserve historical places, buildings, artifacts and archival material in the future, we must connect them to history as they develop and grow. The Hunter Award program is one way to do that. We must support educators who develop programs to involve their students in our past through research and storytelling. Andrew Hunter believed in that, and so do we.

The SCHA will be accepting submissions for the 2027 Andrew Hunter Award throughout the current academic year. Interested students, parents and teachers can contact the SCHA for more information at Andrew Hunter Essay Writing Award or by contacting info@simcoecountyhistory.ca.

The Simcoe County Historical Association is a voluntary non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and appreciation of the history and heritage of Simcoe County. For more information about the Simcoe County Historical Association, please visit our website at https://simcoecountyhistory.ca.

Simcoe County Historical Association Land Acknowledgement

In recognition of those who walked this land before us, Simcoe County Historical Association acknowledges that we gather on the ancestral
territory of the Anishinaabek Nations: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi, who collectively are known as the Three Fires Confederacy. We remember
too the people of the Wendat who once made this land their home. We acknowledge with regret that in the past we have not lived in harmony
with the Indigenous People of Turtle Island and our relationship has not been one of true friendship based on honesty, generosity, and mutual respect.
Today we recognize the enduring presence of the people of the Chippawa Tri-Council: Beausoleil First Nation, Georgina Island First Nation, and Chippewas of Rama First Nations, as well as the people of the Métis Nation, the Inuit, and other First Nations who have chosen to make their
homes in this region. The members of the Simcoe County Historical Association recognize that we have much to learn from the history, culture, and teachings of the Indigenous Peoples with whom we now share this land. We are committed to nurturing a spirit of respect, honesty, and reconciliation with all our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit neighbours. Click Here for more info.