Emancipation Day and its relevance to Canada
Global News
'There (are) people in this country who fail to recognize that Black people had been here since before Confederation.'
First Baptist Church was founded in 1826 in Toronto by 12 fugitives from slavery seeking freedom. They arrived on the Underground Railroad a few years shy of Aug. 1, 1834 — the day slavery was abolished across the British Empire, including in Canada.
It’s a day historian Rosemary Sadlier says Canadians still know very little about.
“There (are) people in this country who fail to recognize that Black people had been here since before Confederation,” said Sadlier, the former president of the Ontario Black History Society. “On the lands that we now call Canada, slavery began in 1628, the enslavement of Africans. It did not end until August 1st, 1834.”
The passing of the Slavery Abolition Act freed more than 800,000 people across the Caribbean, South Africa and Canada, initiating Emancipation Day Celebrations in Ontario in places like Windsor, St. Catharines, Collingwood, Woodstock, Amherstburg and Toronto.
“The people who were celebrating Emancipation Day were Black people who made themselves free and were in Canada, or newly arrived freedom seekers,” said Sadlier. “The early celebrations … were about just the immediate joyful expressions that were spiritual, that were cultural, that were included dance and prayer, that included speeches.
“Initially, it was about perhaps more identity building and celebration, but it also took on an element of advocacy for the end of slavery” — because slavery wasn’t over for everyone.
The U.S. would wait 30 more years before ending the practice, during which time tens of thousands fled to Canada to taste emancipation.
On their journey to freedom, many African Americans would stop and settle in Owen Sound, Ont. — the northernmost part of the Underground Railroad. The courage and experiences of these pioneers are commemorated in Harrison Park.
Toronto Police say five people have been injured and four of them have been arrested after a crash in Scarborough involving a stolen vehicle.
Parents in the Halifax area are voicing concerns as children have been finding drug paraphernalia in their neighbourhoods. In one case, a child was pricked by a discarded needle.
Voters in Nova Scotia are heading to the polls today as the province holds an election to determine if Tim Houston and the Progressive Conservatives will remain in power.
On Monday, Trump vowed to slap a 25 per cent tariff on all products coming from Canada and Mexico on his first day back in office.
'A cherished member of the theatre community, his presence brought joy, heart and depth to every role, and his artistic contributions — and big hugs — will be deeply missed'
An Ontario man was restrained with duct tape last week after allegedly trying to open the door of a plane mid-flight, called himself the “captain" and injuring a flight attendant.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday called on provinces to 'step up' and get on board with the Liberals' plan to grant a tax holiday on some items for two months.
As authorities investigate the deaths of six tourists in Laos, here's what Canadians need to know about recognizing and preventing methanol poisoning while travelling.
Danielle Smith said the Alberta government is looking for ways to encourage pipeline companies to boost capacity and increase Alberta's oil and gas export volumes to the U.S.
'She thinks she's playing Robin Hood, and in actuality, she's putting these fishermen in a worse-off situation than they currently are,' one licence-holder said.
The Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie in Ontario say they expect to turn away 650 women and children this year for service. It's a problem seen across Canada.