Halifax’s Pier 21 exhibit shines light on Canada’s history of enslavement

A new exhibition is shining a light on 200 years of slavery in Canada at Pier 21 in Halifax.

“A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada” launches at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on Thursday, which also marks the 190th anniversary of Emancipation Day.

“Black people have been enslaved in Canada longer than they have been free,” said Dr. Afua Cooper, curator of the exhibit. “At the same time, we don’t know a lot about this story. We tend to know about slavery in the Caribbean, a lot about the United States.”

Cooper said slavery started in Canada when a child was brought from Madagascar in 1629. It eventually ended on Aug. 1, 1834.

“There was enslavement under both the French colonial regime and the British colonial regime,” Cooper said. “We look at the connection of Canada to the larger Atlantic world of enslavement.”

“A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada” launched at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on Aug. 1, 2024. (Source: CTV News Atlantic)

Cooper said other museums across the country have already booked the exhibit for future dates.

“We think it’s important for all Canadians to know and share our stories,” she said.

The exhibit runs until Jan. 5, 2025.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Paul DeWitt.

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