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
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.