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Manitoba sets aside Aug. 1 as Emancipation Day

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WINNIPEG -

Manitoba has officially set aside August 1 as 'Emancipation Day' for Manitobans to reflect on slavery in Canada.

Jamie Moses, NDP MLA for St. Vital, celebrated the passage of his Emancipation Day Act bill in the Manitoba Legislature on Friday.

August 1 marks the day in 1834 when the Slavery Abolition Act took effect in the British Empire. Moses said he hopes Emancipation Day will be joyous and a day for reflection.

"So that all Manitobans can celebrate in the joy of Emancipation Day and make sure that they're taking that opportunity to make our communities better," Moses said.

The local community hopes it helps shed light on slavery in Canada and leads to a more inclusive future.

"It is going to be about hope. It is going to be about education. It is going to be about enhancing multiculturalism, and it's going to be about creating a broader path to reconciliation for all of us in Manitoba," said Segun Olunde, a community activist.

Black History Manitoba hopes the day also pushes the province to take another look at its policies, and the way the history of slavery in Canada is taught in schools.

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