Emancipation Day celebrations go virtual in Windsor, Ont.
For the first time Emancipation Day is being regarded as a national holiday and in Windsor, a virtual event was hosted to mark the occasion.
"I want to say Happy National emancipation day in Canada," remarked Jean Augustine, Canada’s first African-Canadian woman to be elected to Canada’s House of Commons.
The former MP is one of dozens of local and international individuals who lent their voices to the virtual event.
"I would hope that people watch it, enjoy it and learn from it," said Bradley Wade Jones, the president and co-founder of the Emancipation Day Committee of Windsor. "We have some really great speakers, some great entertainment, literally people that have reached out from around the world to say happy Emancipation day Canada, being this premiere holiday.
A link to the event is available here.
Gathering limits at the city’s parks were limited to 100 people this year, so the Emancipation Day committee chose to keep the event online.
Emancipation day has been celebrated since 1834 when the practice of enslavement of African peoples in British colonies ended.
"Since then, many people of African descent and their allies commemorate August 1 as Emancipation Day, an important milestone on the quest for freedom, justice, and equality," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement issued Sunday.
"Despite the abolition of enslavement nearly two centuries ago, the legacy of anti-Black racism is still prevalent today, entrenched in our institutions, policies, and practices," the Prime Minister wrote. "Canada's history of enslavement, racial segregation, and marginalization of people of African descent is a part of Canadian history that is often forgotten, functionally normalizing institutional and systemic forms of racism or rendering them invisible."
Earlier this year, the federal government voted unanimously to make Emancipation Day a national holiday.
"On Emancipation Day, we also take the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Black Canadians and take part in community and cultural activities to learn more about their sacrifices for emancipation and freedom in Canada," said Trudeau.
"Whether it is through culture, science, sports, or business, Black Canadians have made significant contributions across many domains of Canadian society."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.