Simcoe County Historical Association

Preserving the Past, In the Present, For the Future

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LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN HISTORY AWARD

October 2023

Three students win SCHA’s Andrew Hunter Award for essays in Canadian History
BARRIE, ON, October 30 – Three Bradford District High School students have won the Simcoe
County Historical Association’s Andrew Hunter Award for excellence in essay writing on a topic
in Canadian history. Abiishan Nanthakumar won first place, Katie Jung won second place and
Clare McCormick placed third in this year’s awards. All three winners wrote essays about
Quebec’s Quiet Revolution of the 1960s.

Each winner will receive a cash prize as well as a copy of The History of Simcoe County, the
book written by Andrew F. Hunter, this award’s namesake. Andrew Hunter was an early local
historian of Simcoe County and a co-founder of the SCHA. His book was one of the earliest
local histories to be published in Ontario and remains an essential read today.

The Andrew Hunter Award was originally offered to post-secondary Canadian History students
at Laurentian University’s Barrie campus. When Laurentian phased out its History program, the
award went dormant for a few years until it was relaunched in 2020, this time focused on
students of Canadian History at high schools across Simcoe County.

Says SCHA President Ted Duncan, “We at the Simcoe County History Association believe 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,” Duncan says. “Andrew Hunter believed in that, and so do we.”
The SCHA will be accepting submissions for the next Andrew Hunter Award throughout the
current academic year. Interested teachers can contact the SCHA for more information at
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
www.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.