Nova Scotia marks Emancipation Day with ceremony

Officials were on hand Thursday morning to mark Emancipation Day in Nova Scotia.

Held every year on August 1 to mark the date the British parliament voted to abolish slavery across its empire in 1834, Emancipation Day acknowledges the tragedies of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, in which millions of African-descended people were enslaved and lost their lives.

Nova Scotia Lt. Governor Arthur J. LeBlanc spoke at a ceremony Thursday also attended by the premier and others on the importance of taking time to reflect on the deep impact of racism and injustice on our communities.

“Today the province renews its commitment to support and uplift one another, to listen and learn, and to stand against injustice in all its forms,” LeBlanc said. “We also celebrate the achievements and contributions of people of African descent and African Nova Scotians.”

In addition to that ceremony at the Halifax Citadel, there will be an Emancipation Day art celebration at Halifax Central Library Thursday evening.

There was also an unveiling of the Jamaican Maroons commemorative national historic site, which is notable as the Maroons were a group of formerly enslaved people who, after being forcibly transported to Nova Scotia in 1796, worked on rebuilding military fortifications.