Communities across Canada celebrate Emancipation Day

It’s Emancipation Day, a day where Canadians mark the end of slavery in the British Empire, which of course once included Canada.

Slavery was legal in our nation until 1834 when the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect.

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Communities across Canada celebrate Emancipation Day every year on Aug. 1. The House of Commons officially designated today Emancipation Day in 2021.

Many events were held in our region. In Hamilton, the Afro-Caribbean Association held an event called ‘And Still We Rise’ at city hall to celebrate. They say the day is also about celebrating Black excellence in our communities.

St. Catharines was the last stop on the underground railroad for hundreds of people fleeing slavery in the 1820s. At St. Catharines City Hall, the Pan-African flag was raised which Erika Smith said “commemorates the bravery, and the hard fought battle for freedom.”

Smith is one of the co-founders of the organization ‘Matter of Black’ and is a descendant of freedom seekers who settled in St. Catharines.

“The Salem Chapel Church on Geneva Street was one of the last stop on the underground railroad, where our ancestors found freedom, and established themselves as Black Canadian citizens. It’s incredibly dear to us, my parents were married at the church,” Smith said.

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It’s this history Smith says she wants to pass down to the next generation, like Larenzo Bell, who is a descendent of Harriet Tubman.

“I’m happy for what the slaves did for themselves. Seeking freedom finding freedom, especially Harriet Tubman, she didn’t give up, she knew she was going to find freedom,” Bell said.

Smith says today is not only about celebrating the Slavery Abolition Act itself, but the work freedom seekers were doing years before it went into effect.

“Long before Emancipation Day, and that day I believe it was 1834, we were freeing ourselves. So not only is it important to celebrate the date in which we were recognized as free citizen, but also our hard fought battle,” Smith said.