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Slavery existed in Canada for over 200 years. The stain of slavery is embedded in the fabric of our society. The ideologies and systems that emerged from slavery still shape our current political, cultural, and social infrastructures. In the contemporary landscape, enslavers are memorialized in streets, monuments, and institutions. This shapes public consciousness and our understanding of who and what holds value. Anti-Black racism remains prevalent today in various forms—on ideological, systemic, and interpersonal levels. These legacies perpetuate inequality. Black communities continue to fight for justice, reconciliation, and healing. We must remember slavery and use this history to understand the present and create a better future.
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Moses Brantford Jr. leading an Emancipation Day parade down Dalhousie Street, Amherstburg, Ontario, [ca. 1894]
Alvin D. McCurdy fonds
Archives of Ontario, I0027817
For information about the period after abolition please visit our online exhibit: The Black Canadian Experience 1834-1914: Flight, Freedom, Foundation.
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Levi Veney, ex-slave who lived in Amherstburg, Ontario, [ca. 1898]
Alvin D. McCurdy fonds
Archives of Ontario, I0024830
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Unidentified woman, [ca. 1875]
Alvin D. McCurdy fonds
Archives of Ontario, I0024790
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Portrait of unidentified family, Amherstburg [ca. 1875]
Alvin D. McCurdy fonds
Archives of Ontario, I004785
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Group of friends, [ca. 1870s]
Alvin D. McCurdy fonds
Archives of Ontario, I0034625
In this video, visit the statue commemorating Mary Ann Shadd Cary, educator, publisher, lawyer and abolitionist.
