‘Overture with the Arts’ annual luncheon kicks off Black History Month in Montreal
Posted January 31, 2026 5:25 pm.
Last Updated January 31, 2026 5:37 pm.
West Islanders in Montreal came together Saturday at the Pierrefonds Cultural Centre for Overture with the Arts (OWTA) annual luncheon – kicking off Black History Month.
From authentic Caribbean cuisine, the rhythms of live steelpan music to a high-energy circus performance and opera, the 16th edition of the luncheon served insights into Canadian Black culture, history and various forms of artistic expression.
The event was organized by OWTA, a non-profit focused on providing accessible arts education to young people. Many of the performers at the luncheon were beneficiaries of OWTA’s programs.
“We’re celebrating the amazing Black trailblazers who came before us,” said Akilah Newton, founder and executive director, OWTA.
“We’re just proud and honored to be able to give this to the community in the West Island,” Newton said, adding that the luncheon was one of the few events for the Black community in West Island without a trek downtown.
Joan Lee, president of the West Island Black Community Association, echoed Newton.
“We also have to honour the people who brought us to this point, like Dr. Jean Augustine, Gloria Baylis — it’s to remember them and also highlight and spotlight the youth that are representing us right now,” she said, referring to Black Canadian women leaders.
Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman to be elected as an MP, introduced the motion to recognize February as Black History Month in Canada, which was adopted by the House of Commons in December 1995.
Baylis, a civil rights activist and nurse, won the first employment-related racial discrimination lawsuit in Canada in 1965.
The OWTA luncheon is one of many events planned across the Greater Montreal area throughout February.
“Just go out and celebrate whether on the West Island in Montreal, anywhere in Canada, please go out and support Black History Month and you will be surprised, you’ll learn something new,” Lee said.
