Yesterday, the Government of Canada commemorated the national historic significance of Celebrations of Emancipation Day at a special plaque unveiling ceremony at St. James Cathedral’s Snell Hall in Toronto.
Photo: Library and Archives Canada, PA-163923.
On August 1, 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect which put an end to the centuries-old system of colonial enslavement of Africans throughout the British Empire, which included the land now known as Canada.
People of African descent marked the abolition of enslavement through organized celebrations in what are now the provinces of Ontario and Quebec starting in 1834, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in 1846, and British Columbia starting in 1858.
Historically, celebrations of Emancipation Day include acts of remembrance of ancestors who had endured more than 250 years of enslavement. They also included occasions of mobilization against continued enslavement in the United States until its abolition in 1865, as well as the systemic racism and segregation that persists in Canada following emancipation.
Emancipation Day festivities range from small picnics to grand public affairs, typically with church services, parades, communal meals, formal dinners, and entertainment.
These acts of celebration create significant opportunities for pride in African ancestry, as well as education and reflection on the legacy of enslavement in Canada and its impact on diasporic African communities.
