August 1 marks Emancipation Day in Canada, the date the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire in 1834. Officially recognized by the House of Commons on March 24, 2021, this national day of observance invites Canadians to reflect on the legacies of slavery and engage in the ongoing fight against racism and inequality.
A History Often Overlooked
While slavery is often associated with American history, many Canadians are unaware that Black and Indigenous Peoples were also enslaved on the land that would become Canada. From the 1600s through the early 1800s, thousands of people were forcibly brought into bondage in Nouvelle-France and later British North America. Slavery in Canada was not a passive institution; it was actively upheld by individuals, families, and political leaders. Early colonial records include newspaper advertisements for the sale of children and financial rewards for the return of those who fled bondage.
Resistance, Survival, and Emancipation
Despite the overwhelming brutality, enslaved people resisted through escape, community-building, and resilience. Some found freedom by fleeing to U.S. states that had banned slavery. Others arrived in Canada as Black Loyalists, African American refugees, or through the Underground Railroad. But even freedom was not equal—Black communities in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and New Brunswick faced systemic barriers, including racism, land theft, and exclusion from opportunity.
In 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act promised freedom, but its implementation was partial. Only children under six were freed outright. Others were redesignated as “apprentices” and required to work without pay for several more years. Full emancipation in Canada did not arrive until July 31, 1838.
Recognizing Resilience
Emancipation Day honours the strength and perseverance of Black communities in Canada—communities that have continued to thrive in the face of systemic racism and structural barriers. The first known Emancipation Day celebrations occurred in 1834 and included parades, dinners, and church services. These early acts of remembrance are now themselves a part of Canadian history, officially recognized as a National Historic Event in 2022.
Why Commemoration Still Matters
Emancipation Day is not just about the past—it is a call to action. The legacies of slavery and segregation continue to shape the realities faced by Black Canadians today. In 2016, a UN Working Group concluded that “systemic anti-Black racism continues to have a negative impact on the human rights situation of African-Canadians.”[i]
Statistics Canada echoes this. A 2023 study revealed that racialized Canadian graduates, especially Black graduates, report lower employment earnings and job quality compared to their non-racialized peers.[ii]
These disparities are not coincidences—they are symptoms of historical injustice.
Learning Our Shared History
The ORL is committed to providing access to resources that deepen our understanding of historical truth. Learning the full scope of Canadian history—including the history of slavery, resistance, and resilience—is essential. Emancipation Day is a time to honour those who fought for freedom, to acknowledge those who did not survive, and to ensure that these stories are no longer confined to the margins of our national memory.
Further Reading from the ORL Collection
Explore these five recommended titles to deepen your understanding of Emancipation Day and the legacy of slavery in Canada:
The Hanging of Angélique by Afua Cooper
Discover the real story behind the 1734 Montréal fire—and the enslaved Black woman wrongly blamed for it. The Hanging of Angélique exposes both the brutality of slavery in Canada and the myths that have long obscured its legacy.
Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard
Far from being a post-racial haven, Canada has its own deeply rooted systems of oppression. Policing Black Lives confronts the long history of state violence, from slavery to present-day policing, immigration, and social services, through an urgent call for justice.
Canada’s Forgotten Slaves: Two Hundred Years of Bondage by Marcel Trudel
Canada’s Forgotten Slaves reveals the hidden history of over 4,000 enslaved Indigenous and Black people in colonial Canada. Drawing from decades of archival research, Trudel exposes the erasure of slavery from Canadian memory.
They Call Me George: The Untold Story of Black Train Porters and the Birth of Modern Canada by Cecil Foster
Cecil Foster’s They Call Me George uncovers the overlooked legacy of Black railway porters in Canada, whose labour and activism helped shape the nation’s identity and civil rights landscape. Through their stories, Foster reveals how these men challenged racism and redefined what it meant to belong in Canada.
The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto! by Adrienne Shadd
Before Toronto was a bustling metropolis, it was a beacon of hope for those fleeing slavery. The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto! uncovers the lives of freedom-seekers who built new beginnings, founded institutions, and shaped the city’s early Black communities—leaving a legacy that still resonates today.
[i] United Nations Human Rights Council. Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on its mission to Canada, 16 August 2017, A/HRC/36/60/Add.1. https://undocs.org/A/HRC/36/60/Add.1
[ii] Uppal, Sharanjit. Early career job quality of racialized Canadian graduates with a bachelor’s degree, 2014 to 2017 cohorts. Statistics Canada, January 25, 2023. Catalogue no. 36-28-0001.
Available at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2023001/article/00002-eng.htm
