August 1st – Emancipation Day in Nova Scotia

Emancipation Day in Nova Scotia commemorates the day that Britain formally ended the practice of slavery in its colonies in 1834.

Slavery provided the foundation for the economies we have today. It was slavery that ensured all the land remained in the hands of slaveowners and out of the hands of those who created the wealth and worked the land – the slaves.  Land ownership provided for generational wealth which has made the children and grandchildren of slaveowners wealthier through time.

August 1st is a day to celebrate and acknowledge the resiliency, courage, strength and wisdom of the slaves who were here in the earliest French settlements in the 1600’s and the freed slaves, loyalists, and maroons, who came later in the 1700s and made Nova Scotia their home in communities across the province.

It is also a time to recognize the need to end systemic discrimination and to actively work towards equality for all Nova Scotians in our workplaces and in our communities. Let’s continue to work together for a truly equitable Nova Scotia.

Take a few minutes and read about Nova Scotia and our history here: https://bccns.com/our-history/slavery/ and here https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/08/01/emancipation-day-commemorated. Read this statement from the Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer, Melissa Marsman about Emancipation Day here: https://nslabour.ca/statement-from-nsfl-secretary-treasurer-melissa-marsman-for-emancipation-day-on-august-1/