Angela In Port Hope
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Hello, I am Angela Grogan, woman, daughter, mother, aunt, friend, visionary and advocate. I am passionate, compassionate, approachable, and hardworking.
Hello, my name is Angela Grogan
I am a mother of 2 adult sons, a retired special education teacher, realtor, and entrepreneur. As a champion for equality, I have sat on several committees and boards in our community, the schools I taught at and my union to ensure equity and justice for all. My passion is helping people especially children and the aging to navigate through the ever-changing bureau
• “No Black customers.”
He heard it.
He sat down.
And he made the law count.
1950s Ontario.
Restaurants refused Black diners.
Landlords shut out Black families.
Employers said jobs were “just filled.”
All legal. All accepted.
Bromley Armstrong came from Jamaica in 1947.
He refused to stay silent.
He worked long hours as a railway porter.
Built networks by night.
Through groups like the National Unity Association, he found others facing the same fight.
Then they organized.
In 1954, Ontario passed a law banning discrimination in public spaces.
Businesses ignored it.
Armstrong tested it.
Sent Black patrons into noncompliant restaurants
Documented refusals
Sat in
Filed complaints
Demanded enforcement
This wasn’t protest.
It was legal pressure.
Dresden, Ontario.
One town defying the law.
Armstrong and others sat down.
Officials had to choose: enforce the law or expose it as meaningless.
They enforced it.
His fight led to:
✔️ Fair Employment Practices Act (1951)
✔️ Fair Accommodation Practices Act (1954)
✔️ Real enforcement of anti-discrimination law
He didn’t stop there.
In 1962, he helped build the Jamaican Canadian Association.
It offered:
- Immigration help
- Youth and senior programs
- Cultural events
- Advocacy on policing and education
It gave a voice to Caribbean Canadians in Toronto.
A place to organize and lead.
It still serves that mission today.
Armstrong died on August 17, 2018.
He received the Order of Ontario and Order of Canada.
You may not know his name.
But if you’ve ever entered a business without fear
Applied for a job without being judged by race
Or seen Caribbean culture celebrated in Toronto
You’re living in the world he helped build.
10/16/2025
As announced last year, the fall fishing season in the Ganaraska River for Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Pacific salmon, and rainbow trout has been extended to run from October 15 to December 31.
This extended season applies from the rail bridge near Robertson Street upstream to the south side of the Jocelyn Street Bridge.
For more information, please refer to the Ontario Fishing Regulations: https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-fishing-regulations-summary/fisheries-management-zone-17
Thanksgiving Thoughts: A Budget Boost for the Port Hope Police?
My opinion:
It’s Thanksgiving weekend a time for gratitude, reflection, and maybe a little extra pumpkin pie. But amid the turkey and thanks, news dropped that the Port Hope Police Service is asking for an increase in its budget.
Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions or tightens a seatbelt for a political ride, let’s pause for a moment.
Because the real question is: Who came up with this idea, and what exactly does it mean for our community?
We’re living in times when families are stretching every dollar, local programs are fighting to stay afloat, and residents are still recovering from economic strain. So yes, it’s fair to ask: Is a budget increase really what we need right now?
What matters most is transparency and accountability.
We have been told the money is needed for a new cruiser and to improve in-camera service. Fair enough, but then show us the numbers. The Port Hope Police respond to the community every year, so this year should be no different.
The residents , the taxpayers, deserve to see a full operational budget disclosure before any increase is approved. Show us what you currently have, how it’s being used, and why you need more.
Let’s remember something important: the money does not belong to Council. It belongs to the residents.
So when you are asking for one million dollars more, you are not asking Council, you are asking us, the shareholders in the Corporation of the Municipality of Port Hope. And I have to say it somebody must be smoking something if they think we’re just going to nod and say yes without details.
So, to the Port Hope Police Board:
Please show us the plan, share the details, and explain what this increase covers, because informed citizens make stronger communities.
And to my fellow residents:
Let’s stay tuned, stay engaged, and stay respectful as we learn more.
While we are listening, let’s also be honest, we do not need any more police cars or more cameras around town until we know exactly how the current ones are being used. When was the last camera installed, and what has been its impact? Accountability is not about criticism; it is about clarity and respect for the public’s trust.
If some of us are fortunate enough to have a warm meal and good company this
Thanksgiving, let’s also make time to think about the choices shaping our town’s future.
Angela Grogan
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10/11/2025
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sometimes, healing doesn’t come from adding more things to your life — it comes from removing what’s quietly hurting you.
✨ Remove certain foods — and your body starts to thank you.
Processed junk, excess sugar, and artificial energy boosters might feel comforting in the moment, but they drain your vitality, cloud your mind, and fuel anxiety. Replace them with clean, living foods — fruits, vegetables, water, sunlight — and suddenly, your body starts to feel lighter, calmer, more alive.
✨ Remove certain people — and your peace returns.
Not everyone around you is meant to grow with you. Some people feed your soul, others feed your stress. Learn to recognize the difference. You don’t owe anyone your energy, especially if they leave you feeling smaller every time you walk away. Protect your peace — it’s sacred.
✨ Remove certain habits — and your life transforms.
Late nights scrolling, endless comparisons, ignoring your own needs, saying “yes” when your heart says “no.” These are silent thieves of joy. Replace them with self-discipline, mindfulness, and rest — and watch how your clarity returns.
🪷 In Buddhism, this is the practice of letting go. The Buddha taught that suffering often comes not from what we lack, but from what we refuse to release. When you let go of what no longer nourishes you, you create space for peace, growth, and genuine happiness.
🌸 So today, instead of asking, “What should I add to feel better?”
Ask, “What do I need to remove to feel free?”
Because sometimes, subtraction is the most powerful form of healing.
✨ Shanah Tovah! Neighbours, friends and family.
Wishing you a sweet and happy New Year filled with joy, health, and blessings. 🍎🍯
Another Half-Million Dollars Wasted on Amalgamation Review
Why taxpayers keep paying for politics instead of people
By Angela Grogan
Since 2001, when the Town of Port Hope and the former Hope Township were forced into amalgamation, it has been a strained marriage. Taxes, garbage costs, and service levels have been a constant source of friction. Urban and rural residents remain divided, and council after council has failed to bring unity.
Now, just before another municipal election, council is spending nearly half a million dollars on yet another governance and ward boundary review. It is déjà vu: much like last year’s election expenses and the Wesleyville debate, the timing and spending look more like politics than progress.
For over two decades, these studies, exorbitant legal fees, and consultant contracts have drained taxpayers without delivering solutions. The Supreme Court dismissed the rural compensation case tied to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Fund. Attempts in 2014 to undo amalgamation went nowhere. And still, we return to the same question: is the system fair?
Meanwhile, residents struggle with everyday realities. Seniors on fixed incomes face rising taxes with no relief in sight. Rural residents without reliable transportation pay more for basic services. Garbage tags are so expensive that people are dumping trash along highways and back roads rather than paying fees they simply cannot afford. Yet instead of addressing these grassroots needs, council throws another half million at consultants.
What half a million dollars could do is clear: it could reduce garbage costs, provide even modest tax relief, or fund transportation supports for those who need them most. Instead, this money will be folded into our tax base, showing up as a line in next year’s budget and residents will pay again through higher taxes.
It seems everything is filtered through a policy or a system that never trickles down to the people who need relief the most. The working families, the seniors, and the rural households are left out while consultants and lawyers get paid.
Residents deserve better stewardship of their tax dollars. We need practical investments in our community, not political theatre that recycles old debates. If this council truly cared about fairness, they would invest in people, not another study destined to gather dust.
It’s time for residents to speak up. Demand better priorities at council meetings. Write letters. Ask candidates in the upcoming election where they stand on wasting public funds. The only way to stop this endless cycle of studies and fees is for citizens to insist that our leaders invest in people first.
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