PORTRAITS OF HALTON

“Portraits of Halton” is about diversity and connection.

it’s about the past and the present.

It’s a photography book project that aims to show how people with different backgrounds and stories within the region have been nurturing the common core values that sustain this great community.

Since its creation in 1976, Halton has been growing at one of the fastest paces in Canada, not lacking any of the advantages of urban cities while maintaining its remarkable green spaces, farms, and conservation areas. From Oakville to Burlington, crossing Milton and Halton Hills, there’s so much to be amazed at in Halton, including landscapes, vibrant creative environments, and people with extraordinary experiences to share. The region is among the Top 10 destinations chosen by newcomers, and more than 40% of its population speaks two or more languages. Among the mother tongues most spoken besides English and French are Urdu, Arab, Mandarin, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Italian, and Filipino. Among the English-speaking people, we can also find great diversity! If until 2006 the majority of immigrant English speakers were from the United Kingdom and the US, Pakistani and Indian residents have outnumbered the growing population for the recent decade. The African continent has also been represented in growing numbers, with Egypt and Nigeria entering the Top 10 countries of origin in the 2016 and 2021 Census. 

All these demographic trends are accompanied by challenges and opportunities that are lived first-hand by the people – the ones who are coming and the ones who are already settled in the region for a long time. And the authors want to portray it all. 

Halton Portraits’ authors acknowledge that all of the stories to be heard and shared during the project are emerging on a land firstly inhabited by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as well as on the Traditional Territory of the Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, and Anishinabek peoples. According to Statistics Canada, about 1% of Halton’s population are indigenous people who have been enduring and contributing to this community to become more inclusive and to keep thriving. And their presence must be known, recognized, and celebrated with a privileged spot.

Therefore, the authors want to tell this beautiful Canadian tale by embroidering the colorful threads of diverse hands – with words and portraits. For each one of the people chosen to be part of the book, the authors will dedicate ears and eyes with curiosity and energy. They will be photographed in the studio by the artist Renata Pollock and will be interviewed by the writer and psychotherapist Carol Pombo. With her attention to detail and attuned insights, Renata can reveal her subjects’ personalities with her camera, even in a clean and simple setting. In her turn, Carol can apply her compassionate listening to write her subjects’ stories in a creative and accurate style. The collaboration and combination of both authors’ talents are a fair representation of Halton's inspirational environment.

How the idea started

Halton Portraits was conceived by writer and psychotherapist Carol Pombo and artist and photographer Renata Pollock after both met at an event for entrepreneurs in Oakville in 2022. When Carol spotted Renata’s work for the first time she was so impressed that she invited the artist to talk about collaborating on a project – she just didn’t know exactly what. Gladly, as a typical Haltonian, Renata was open to brainstorming together! So, they met for a coffee at Tradition de France, the iconic boulangerie in Downtown Oakville, and spent hours talking about all subjects including their creative ideas. The conversation was filled with that special sense of easiness and excitement that happen when two people with similar values and different interesting stories meet for the first time, which made it natural to get to the theme of their new collaborative work: a book about people like them and also different from them who have one thing in common, loving Halton Region.

They realized that they both have a lot in common besides being born in Brazil: they both have Burlington as home and commute daily to Oakville for working purposes, or to drive their children to extracurricular activities, doctors’ appointments, leisure, and cultural events. They also have kids of the same age who are going through similar life transitions and have partners who support their entrepreneurial creative careers. On top of that, they love networking and meeting people from all kinds of origins and cultures. 

Still, beyond the similarities and shared values, Carol and Renata have very different stories. 

The Authors

Renata Pollock

Renata came to Canada 22 years ago, married to a Canadian who grew up in Brazil. She’s in an interracial, transnational marriage, and is very lucky to have part of her extended family also living in Canada. When she came to Halton, shortly after moving to Canada, though, Renata couldn't easily spot interracial couples around. She's now a witness to the amazing changes in the region's population and feels excited to see much diversity in it. Renata started her artistic journey working with clay, back in Brazil, when her heart was already beating for photography but she couldn't find an accessible school where to learn more about it. In Canada, ceramics became a career, and Renata participated in art fairs in Halton and the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in 2006. In order to improve her chances with the curators and potential buyers, she applied a great deal of dedication to photographing her pieces and was coached by an experienced photographer whom she met at Burlington Gallery, where she used to spend most of her time. After a few months of hard-working self-education, and having very positive feedback, she decided to finally embrace her old dream of becoming a full-time professional photographer. Her efforts were rapidly rewarded when she won first place in the 2020 Creative Pictures Award with the work My Covid-19 Family Portrait. She has her studio in Oakville, where she's been photographing in different styles. 

Carol Pombo

Carol came to Canada at the beginning of 2020 as a French-speaking skilled worker with her husband and daughter. As Brazilians, Portuguese is the family's mother tongue, but French has become a passion after the three years they spent in France. Carol is a Registered Psychotherapist with a private practice in Burlington, has a Ph.D. in Health and Social Sciences, and is frequently invited to speak as a mental health advocate at international events. Her childhood career dream was writing, and her teenage career ambition was to be a psychologist. She achieved both in Brazil, publishing her first book, a biographical essay, in 2013. Still, she urged having more opportunities to put her skills into service, in an environment where they could prosper better. Her experience in Canada, even in the middle of a world pandemic, has only been a confirmation that she’s made the right choice. Her first job in the country was actually as a humanitarian worker, coordinating a personal support care team formed by immigrants and locals in Quebec City during the worst waves of covid-19. But, Halton Region has been her family home since the start. One of the main reasons for her to settle here was the access to good public schools with French Immersion for her daughter, the green spaces, and the opportunity to work with a diverse clientele who speak English, Portuguese, and French, from Hamilton to Toronto. She loves to write biographical narratives filled with emotional accounts that converse with broader social contexts and Nature. 

Carol’s website : Carolpombo.com