A ceremony for a new memorial in honour of a small New Brunswick community that was the first settlement in British North America to ban slavery was held in Beaver Harbour, N.B. on Saturday.
The event commemorated Quakers sailing into the small community and removing slavery in 1783.
“They did not allow people to even be in the same community that practiced slavery,” said Ralph Thomas of the New Brunswick Black History Society. “In other words, no slave owner was allowed here, no slavery was allowed in the village or the community at all, and the Quakers paid for that.
A total of 49 families signed a founding documents for the new settlement, clearly stating ‘no slave master admitted.’
“They got burned out, tortured, taken individually, houses being burnt, they went through all the same things black people went through just for standing up for people who were different,” said Thomas.
Deborah Coleman is a direct descendant of Benjamin Brown, one of the original settlers. She was one of the dozens in the village Saturday commemorating a new plaque noting the history.
“It wouldn't have been taught in the schools,” said Coleman. “Slavery is seldom mentioned in Canadian history. You might get a footnote or something.”
Judy Davies, who is a descendent of colony leader Joshua Knight, says she was surprised to learn about this fact.
“Makes me feel very proud that this small community has a sense of history and maintained that connection,” said Davies.
The memorial stone was donated by a man with his own strong roots in the community.
“I hope that people realize that this is the historical significance of Beaver Harbour,” said Coleman.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore.
