August 1st marks Emancipation Day. Many Canadians are unaware of our history of the enslavement of Black and Indigenous Peoples. This day marks a time to learn about a dark part of our history of enslavement in Canada. Between the mid-17th century and 1834, it was recorded that there were 4,185 enslaved people. Of that number, 2,683 were enslaved Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples were not granted basic human rights and were treated as property, as they were continuously bought and sold for the primary purpose of manual and domestic labour. Over 3,000 Black people arrived in Nova Scotia between 1783 and 1785, as a result of the American Revolution and Loyalists migration. They had pledged allegiance to the British Crown and decided to flee revolutionary America. They were the largest group of people of African birth and descent to come to Nova Scotia at any one time. Despite the promises of prosperity, many were denied access to land they could cultivate. They also faced racism, shortages of food and clothing, and other harsh conditions like starvation and exploitation. Several hundred free and enslaved Black loyalists also settled in Upper Canada, modern-day Ontario, and enslaved people of African descent were also brought to Lower Canada, modern-day Quebec. For most enslaved people in British North America, the Slavery Abolition Act resulted only in partial liberation as it only freed children under the age of six. Enslaved people older than six years old were re-designated as “apprentices” and required to work, 40 hours per week without pay, as part of compensation payment to their former owners. The Act did however confirm Canada as a free territory for enslaved African Americans. Thousands of African Americans subsequently arrived in Canada between 1834 and the early 1860s.
The ramifications of slavery in Canada are still felt today. There is a disproportionate number of Black Canadians in jail, living below the poverty line, in the child welfare system, and experiencing homelessness. On average 80-90% of YWS residents are Black, and roughly 30% of YWS residents are newcomers to Canada mostly from African or Latin American countries. Knowing this, we try our best to support them as they settle into their new home in Canada. YWS connects them with Legal Aid to help them through the immigration process and our Life Skills team supports them by helping them to open a bank account, navigate the TTC system, enroll them in ESL courses (if needed), and provide them with community resources. Our settlement module is rooted in supporting their mental health and well-being to help with a seamless transition into their new environment. We give the youth tools they need to uplift them and set them on the right path as they transition out of YWS and into independent living. If any of our youth wish to be connected to their diaspora community of the country of their birth or with their religious diaspora we will help them to make those connections. We also pride ourselves in the hard work our kitchen does to occasionally prepare special dinners for our youth that are reminiscent of the meals they grew up with. There is no better way to learn about each other’s culture than through food. At YWS we work hard to break down the systems that actively work against our residents based on the colour of their skin or their place of birth. We strive to uplift our youth by giving them all of the resources they need to be successful and independent young adults.
– Anastasia Kemp
