The JLP marks Emancipation Day 2026
In 2021, the House of Commons officially recognized August 1 as Emancipation Day in Canada. This date reflects the day the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect in 1834, abolishing slavery across the British Empire, including the colonies. Thus, 2026 marks the sixth annual national recognition of Emancipation Day in Canada.
Historian Marcel Trudel estimated that approximately 4,200 people were enslaved in Nouvelle France and later in Upper and Lower Canada between 1671 and 1831. Of these, approximately two thirds were Indigenous peoples and one third people of African descent.
Many formerly enslaved people and freedom seekers who escaped the United States came north and settled in what is now Canada, with many establishing communities in Nova Scotia. the province has been the home to generations of Black communities dating as far back as the late 1700s. Today, Nova Scotia remains central to the culture, heritage, and history of Black Canadians.
Long before slavery was officially abolished in the British Empire, Black Nova Scotians had already built churches, communities, and other essential infrastructure for welcoming new arrivals. These institutions had taken root despite social and institutional prejudices and resistance on the part of the white majority. Black Nova Scotians settled in 52 historic communities such as Shelburne, Sydney, Annapolis Royal and Africville. Many of those settlements have since been destroyed or their history buried in an attempt to diminish the roles that so many Black Canadians played in the founding of this country. You can learn more about one of the most famous of these, Africville.
Emancipation Day is one way to revive, recognize and remember some pieces of our colonial history that may have been erased or diminished. We work toward dismantling racism when we learn about the forgotten pasts and celebrate the extraordinary legacies of marginalized people in Canadian history.
The JLP is proud to offer in-person workshops and virtual discussions that invite participants to explore ways to foster awareness and more inclusive workplaces.