TORONTO – Thirty-three community groups will receive a total of $261,000 in Roots of Freedom grants to tell the little known story of slavery and abolition in Ontario. The projects are part of province-wide efforts to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the passage of legislation in the British parliament to end the trade in enslaved Africans, Jean Augustine, Chair of the Ontario Bicentenary Commemorative Committee on the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act announced today.

“Enslaved Africans are a part of Canada’s early history and their fight for freedom was a crucial step toward the inclusive society we have built in Ontario,” Dr. Augustine said.  “These projects will help to share our province’s history with all Ontarians and help us to learn compelling lessons from our past.”

The thirty-three projects, ranging from learning resources to film festivals to public ceremonies, will bring Ontario’s history to communities across the province. 

The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1807, made it illegal for British ships to be involved in the trade and transportation of slaves.

The Ontario Bicentenary Commemorative Committee on the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was established to advise the government and work with organizations and communities across the province to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the act.  Its 15 members include representatives from academia, historical societies, archivists, the arts and the African Canadian community. 

Other government steps to commemorate the anniversary include:

• a Bicentenary Exhibit at 880 Bay Street in Toronto with displays and events
• an interactive three-day conference for 14 to 18 year olds on the history of slavery and the abolition movement in Ontario
• new interpretive displays at Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Dresden
• a plaque unveiling to recognize an enslaved woman, Chloe Cooley of Niagara, who influenced the creation of the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada
• a plaque unveiling to recognize Puce River’s former settlement of Black slaves from the United States

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Contact:
Michel Payen-Dumont
Communications
416-314-7010

Backgrounder: Roots Of Freedom Grants