February is a time to honor and celebrate the achievements, resilience, and contributions of Black individuals throughout history. Black History Month is not only a chance to reflect on the struggles against systemic oppression and racial injustice but also an opportunity to highlight the innovators, leaders, artists, and everyday heroes who have shaped our world. It reminds us that understanding history is essential to building a more equitable future.
Maria Robinson is well known in the Valley business community, and by her own admission, she wears many hats. She is the owner of Eagle Tax Service, a municipal councillor for North Algona-Wilberforce, and the treasurer for the Chamber of Commerce there.
Maria took over the tax business in 2012 and officially moved to the Valley in 2015, where she lives on Lake Dore. Born in Jamaica, she moved to Montreal as a teenager and later settled in Toronto, where she raised her children.
Moving to the Valley and being one of the very few persons of color was not without its challenges, she says. But by and large, she entered her life here with the right attitude from the start:
Raised in a multiracial family, Maria already had an awareness of some of the biases that existed. From the outset, however, she refused to allow those differences to dictate her life. She says there had been moments when bias raised its ugly head, but she turned the other cheek and carried on.
She goes on to say that she has known all her life that being Black meant she had to work harder than non-Black individuals, and she largely attributes her voracious work ethic to that. One thing Maria has noticed about life in the Valley is that, regardless of color, people tend to treat her the way they want to be treated. There is an inherent fairness and decency in that, which in part defines Valley residents. When asked about cultural differences that might exist, Maria’s answer also reflects the spirit of the Valley:
Often, being “different” can mean being frowned upon or considered an outcast in some respects, but Maria does not see being different in a negative light at all.
Special thanks from all of us at MBC to Maria Robinson for taking the time to share her journey with us during this very important month.
(Written By: Richard Evans)
