Formal end of slavery in Canada commemorated during ceremony in HalifaxHALIFAX — Politicians and dignitaries gathered in Halifax on Monday to commemorate Emancipation Day, the anniversary of the British Parliament's decision to abolish slavery across its empire in 1834. And by 1750, there were about 400 enslaved Black people among the nearly 3,000 residents of Halifax. The federal government designated Aug. 1 as Emancipation Day in March 2021, and the Nova Scotia government did the same a month later. Dwayne Provo, Nova Scotia's associate deputy minister of African Nova Scotian affairs, said people of African descent have lived in Nova Scotia for more than 400 years. In P.E.I., Premier Dennis King issued a statement Monday noting his government introduced a law earlier this year to recognize Emancipation Day.

Source: CBC News August 01, 2022 16:21 UTC