Black Nova Scotian News- The Halifax Explosion 1917- Nobody helped the Coloureds of Nova Scotia's Africville
Halifax Explosion: The Aftermath and Relief Efforts (1917)
Actual footage following the 1917 Explosion in Halifax, showing devastation and the relief effort, beginning with activities the day after the Explosion and following the reconstruction in the north end of Halifax, including the Hydrostone housing project.
Filmmaker: W.G. MacLaughlan
For more information on the archives and these films, please visit: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/ns...
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Many of my bestest of best friends since the late 60s and 70s... are still my best friends.... been there and love the Nova Scotia Black News... and the sharing THIS IS MY STORY... OF POOR WHITE FOSTER CARE WHITE KIDS OF WWII GROWING UP IN NOVA SCOTIA... there were many hardships of those times.... and many of us children, regardless of race, colour, creed, religion etc. suffered dearly.... MY STORY..
This is honestly the the history of the day and of our times of Canada- as a member of the 'poor white trash in more foster homes than care 2 count- WWII baby' the town lived in... no injuns or coloureds were allowed 2 live there... could shop... but could not live there..... and poor white trash kids got 2 go 2 school (law)... always church and sunday school but sitting in the back whilst 'the' families had front pews... but we were the work animals.... we never sat at the big table in the dining room- and the parlour and living room were truly off limits... and our scraps were not as good as the hunting dogs.... we slept on the floor with an army blanket...-brought in firewood, brought up the coal and veggies etc from the cellar- and hand me downs - the dress apparel of the day... were appreciated... food... appreciated..hardship and beatings and abuse... were part of - 'life' as a poor white trash kid from foster home 2 foster home as a WWII kid.... AND.. WE GOT EDUCATED...GREW UP... AND ALL OF US CHANGED THE WORLD IN NOVA SCOTIA... AND CANADA... union, human rights and walking the talk... one step in each community at a time... this is reality.... of those days.... and the heartbreak that was the 'one' dignity of our black brothers and sisters- was Africville. glorious Africville- 4 all the poverty- there was a righteous God loving community of faith, dignity and pride .... that's how I remember Africville.... u inspired us back then... and u inspire us now. hugs and love. God bless our troops.
In our Canadian Schools... we were reading Shakespeare in Grade V... The Wreck of the Hesperus was memorized in Grade IV and in junior high and high school... we had High English, French, German and Latin.... We had math, geometry,gym, English,grammar, debating, science, geography, literature, art, home economics, history-world, industrial arts,ballroom dance-setting formal dinner walk- SOCIAL GRACES ALSO of sitting, health, manners, respect.
we had 2 line up 2 have our hands checked 4 cleaniness and teaspoonful of cod liver oil every day in elementary 4 the first 3 years.... we had skating ponds, old fields 4 ball games, races, hop scotch, marbles, red rover red rover can we come over, sack races, egg-spoon walks, plays - which we were allowed 2 write, literature, music- classical and church, we read encyclopedias by the time we were 12, the radio was the joy and down time... all could hear- no matter of $$$, race, religion, creed etc. - for all of these things... most of us grew up and changed our lives and our world- because we..just...had 2 make it better 4 each and all...
We came home and the poorest of the poor worked like dogs....and got up be4 dawn.
Our teacher Miss Brown had the ugliest and meanest old dog... and she would march (military WWII vet) in them old army boots and a stick the size of Israel and would measure our backs 4 sitting, printing and writing- and the blackboard of hell.... and u never wasted her chalk.... At Christmas the Christians who did NOT believe in gifts and Jewish etc. were givng mittens, socks, scarfs, hats and what ever else was necessary as part of the school- she used 2 say... and all kids got the same... period... and all parents quietly took them... they would dare not 2- Miss Brown frightened the parents more than us kids... if possible.
In schools - we were shunned quite often... because of our abject poverty and circumstances and that white trash foster kid of WWII- but if we were really, really good at something.... teachers started and would pay attention.... by 13yrs excelled in debate and was the best in all sports (kids; like us abused and barely tolerated white trash foster kids off and on WWII babies, just didn't care much and we either feared the world or didn't give a sheeet... unfortunately 4 me many times, I was the later)
The most heartbreaking thing 2 me on this day is that the mess that is United Nations refuses 2 make women equal 2 men and does NOT count children- and 2 many of our troops are dying 4 what??? freedom... basic dignity... human rights in the cruelest parts of the world on this day of impoverished nations...
.... and yet a great man of our times has been allowed 2 die with dignity- and we can remember loudly and quietly... Nelson Mandela changed our world one broken chain at a time- and finally... he's free at last. imho
The Halifax Explosion 1917- Nobody helped the Coloureds of Nova Scotia's Africville
Rebuilding efforts bypassed Africville. There was relief aplenty after the Halifax Explosion on Dec. 6, 1917, but not across the tracks.
By: Jon Tattrie
First published on Dec. 6, 2009
Excerpts: ...See More
By: Jon Tattrie
First published on Dec. 6, 2009
Excerpts: ...See More
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Some Canada History....
CANADA 1960- John Diefenbaker...
The Canadian Bill of Rights
After witnessing the horrors of the Second World War, demand for the national and international protection of human rights and freedoms grew sharply within Canada.
As the national press brought the controversy over the internment of Japanese-Canadians and after the Second World War to the forefront, the question of human rights in Canadian society became an urgent matter of public debate. Additionally, with the post-war development of the United Nations Charter, an alliance of nations had declared their commitments to human rights. As a country which stressed the importance of the United Nations, Canada could hardly ignore matters of civil liberties at home.
John Diefenbaker, whose reputation was built on his dedication to civil liberties, held a longstanding commitment to developing a Canadian Bill of Rights. During the minority parliament of 1957-58, his goal of developing human rights legislation was deferred in favour of more pressing political measures. However, once Diefenbaker's government gained an overwhelming majority, the issue topped his agenda.
Diefenbaker's interest in human rights was genuine, and his views on universal civil and political rights are apparent in the records of his early years in federal politics in the 1940s. Diefenbaker also had a personal agenda of promoting multiculturalism, noting that he could "speak on the subject of mixed racial origin," and that he knew "what it has meant in the past for some to regard those with names other than British and French origin as not being quite that kind of Canadian that those of British or French origin could claim to be." It was a subject that suited his strong individualism, his sympathy for the voiceless, and his rhetorical abilities.
In the two years between the first introduction of the Bill by the Prime Minister in 1958 and its final passage by the House of Commons in 1960, the government invited comment from both lay and professional groups concerning the nature and contents of the Bill and received a torrent of responses.
Diefenbaker's agenda would profoundly influence Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who would succeed in winning the battle with the provinces needed to bind human rights legislation to the Canadian Constitution. In 1982, the Constitution was officially amended and a full Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force - a step made easier by Diefenbaker's dedication and action.
Though more a symbolic declaration than a piece of practical legislation, the Canadian Bill of Rights succeeded in influencing developments in the Canadian courts, resulting in a greater public awareness of human rights issues. It would become, as Diefenbaker often reminded Canadians, his proudest achievement.
As the national press brought the controversy over the internment of Japanese-Canadians and after the Second World War to the forefront, the question of human rights in Canadian society became an urgent matter of public debate. Additionally, with the post-war development of the United Nations Charter, an alliance of nations had declared their commitments to human rights. As a country which stressed the importance of the United Nations, Canada could hardly ignore matters of civil liberties at home.
John Diefenbaker, whose reputation was built on his dedication to civil liberties, held a longstanding commitment to developing a Canadian Bill of Rights. During the minority parliament of 1957-58, his goal of developing human rights legislation was deferred in favour of more pressing political measures. However, once Diefenbaker's government gained an overwhelming majority, the issue topped his agenda.
Diefenbaker's interest in human rights was genuine, and his views on universal civil and political rights are apparent in the records of his early years in federal politics in the 1940s. Diefenbaker also had a personal agenda of promoting multiculturalism, noting that he could "speak on the subject of mixed racial origin," and that he knew "what it has meant in the past for some to regard those with names other than British and French origin as not being quite that kind of Canadian that those of British or French origin could claim to be." It was a subject that suited his strong individualism, his sympathy for the voiceless, and his rhetorical abilities.
In the two years between the first introduction of the Bill by the Prime Minister in 1958 and its final passage by the House of Commons in 1960, the government invited comment from both lay and professional groups concerning the nature and contents of the Bill and received a torrent of responses.
Diefenbaker's agenda would profoundly influence Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who would succeed in winning the battle with the provinces needed to bind human rights legislation to the Canadian Constitution. In 1982, the Constitution was officially amended and a full Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force - a step made easier by Diefenbaker's dedication and action.
Though more a symbolic declaration than a piece of practical legislation, the Canadian Bill of Rights succeeded in influencing developments in the Canadian courts, resulting in a greater public awareness of human rights issues. It would become, as Diefenbaker often reminded Canadians, his proudest achievement.
Reflections: John Diefenbaker and the “un-hyphenated” Nation
Posted in Apartheid, Canadian History, Countries: Canada, Countries: South Africa by the woyingi blogger on March 27, 2010
I’m helping the daughter of an aunty of mine with her History Summative. It has to be on a Canadian Prime Minister. She chose John Diefenbaker. I was happy about this because since reading Canadian philosopher George Grant’s “Lament for a Nation“, I have been fascinated by John Diefenbaker and his involvement in promoting civil rights in Canada.
John Diefenbaker led the Conservative Party to victory in 1957. He was the Prime Minister of Canada from 1957 to 1963. Growing up, I absorbed some snippets of Diefenbaker’s history from TV, but like most Canadians my age, I didn’t learn much about Canadian history and frankly felt that our history was boring.
John Diefenbaker
I knew about the Diefenbunker and wanted to visit there some day (I still haven’t managed to yet). I knew that Diefenbaker didn’t get along with President John F. Kennedy but I didn’t really know why. I knew that Diefenbaker had cancelled the Avro Arrow but didn’t know why. I also had come to my own conclusion that Diefenbaker was one of our ugliest Prime Ministers.
But while reading Grant’s Lament for a Nation I discovered that Diefenbaker was something of a progressive for his time, despite being the leader of the Conservative Party.
Diefenbaker once said “I am the first Prime Minister of this country of neither altogether English nor French origin. So I determined to bring about a Canadian citizenship that knew no hyphenated consideration.”- March 29, 1958, Maclean’s. Diefenbaker believed in promoting an “unhyphenated” Canadian identity, and that protecting the rights of all Canadians, regardless of race or national origin, was key in building the idea of Canada as “one nation”. However, this position make him quite unpopular among the Québecois.
Here is a list of some of the positions, decisions, and accomplishments of Diefenbaker that I think were pretty progressive and important for more Canadians to know about:
1) Diefenbaker opposed the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II
While an MP in the Conservative Opposition, Diefenbaker was appointed to the House Committee on the Defense of Canada Regulations. This committee was an all-party committee responsible for examining the war-time rules related to arrest and detention without trial. When Mackenzie King’s Liberals sought to forcably relocate Japanese Canadians from the Pacific Coast and interned them, Diefenbaker was against such actions. I wonder how much this had to do with his background as a German. At the time, Diefenbaker was concerned about Canadians accusing German Canadians of disloyalty and during his early political career he had been called a “Hun” and faced harassment because of his obviously German last name. It should really be no surprise that redress for the internment of Japanese Canadians were made under the Conservative Government of Brian Mulroney, seeing as this had been an action that Conservatives like Diefenbaker had opposed.
2) Diefenbaker and First Nations’ Rights
On March 31, 1960, First Nations and Inuit peoples were given the right to vote in Canada by the Diefenbaker Conservatives. This allowed Registered Indians living On-Reserve the right to vote in federal elections for the first time. Before this, if a Registered or Status Indian wanted to vote, he had to renounce his Status.
3) Diefenbaker’s Appointment of James Gladstone, the First Status Indian Sentator
Although Cree by birth, James Gladstone was adopted by the Blood/Kainai Tribe, a member of the Blackfoot Nation, because he was born on one of their reserves. He was President of the Indian Association of Alberta and was appointed to the Senate in 1958, two years before Status Indians were given the right to vote in federal elections. Gladstone’s presence in the Senate was key in pressuring Parliment to grant Status Indians their civil rights.
4) Diefenbaker’s Appointment of Ellen Fairclough, the First Woman Cabinet Minister
In 1957, Diefenbaker appointed the first woman federal cabinet minister, Ellen Fairclough. She held the posts of Secretary of State, and later Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. During her time in Parliment, she worked on issues related to the status of women, including private members bills pushing for equal pay for equal work for women.
5) The Canadian Bill of Rights
Taken from Diefenbaker’s Bill of Rights by Thomas Axworthy:
John Diefenbaker was a passionate advocate for the rights of the downtrodden, and as early as 1936 he had begun to draft a Canadian Bill of Rights. Elected to the House of Commons in 1940, Diefenbaker began to introduce annually a private member’s bill enunciating a made-in-Canada Bill of Rights. Becoming leader of the Conservative Party in 1956, Diefenbaker stunned Canada with an upset victory over the Liberal Party in 1957, and work on a Canadian Bill of Rights began immediately. Believing that Canada’s internment of the Japanese during World War II was a disgrace, he told the House of Commons that a Bill of Rights “would make Parliament freedom-conscious.” In August of 1960, his cherished Bill of Rights was proclaimed.
Mr. Diefenbaker made the strategic decision that his Bill of Rights would apply only to the federal jurisdiction. He did not believe that the provinces would agree to amend the Constitution. “Let us clear our own doorstep first,” he told critics who said he did not go far enough.
6) Diefenbaker and Aparteid South Africa
Taken from The Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online:
Despite his vehement rejection of the South African policy of apartheid, Diefenbaker was hesitant to consider exclusion of South Africa from membership in the British Commonwealth on the ground that the association should not interfere in the domestic affairs of its members. Political pressure for action intensified after disorders and a police massacre of peaceful demonstrators in Sharpeville in March 1960. At a meeting of Commonwealth prime ministers in May Diefenbaker worked with Prime Minister Macmillan to avoid a split among the leaders along racial lines. They found their escape in convenient delay. The conference offered South Africa time to revise its policies by agreeing that in the event it chose to become a republic, it would have to request consent from other Commonwealth members for readmission to the association. When South Africa’s whites voted that October in favour of a republic, Prime Minister Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd announced that he would seek continuing Commonwealth membership at the meeting in March 1961. Diefenbaker arrived at that meeting carrying divided counsels on South Africa, some calling for its exclusion, some for renewal of its membership coupled with a Commonwealth statement on racial equality, and others for further delay. As the conference opened he was undecided, but at the suggestion of Bryce he advocated a declaration of principles to be adopted before a decision on South Africa’s readmission. The effect would be to force a choice on South Africa rather than on the other members. When Verwoerd called for additional wording which would exclude his country’s practices from blame, Diefenbaker sided with the non-white leaders in rejecting the proposal. Verwoerd withdrew the South African application and left the meeting. Following South Africa’s departure, the conference dropped the effort to adopt a declaration of principles, but Diefenbaker told reporters that non-discrimination was an “unwritten principle” of the association and that it was “in keeping with the course of my life.” He accepted the outcome as the least divisive one possible and received wide praise at home and abroad for his defence of the principle of non-discrimination.
Diefenbaker’s position negatively affected his relationship with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who already thought Diefenbaker was a nuisance because of his interference in Britain’s economic policies. Diefenbaker was the only one of the white Prime Ministers to take an unequivocal stand against aparteid and spoke of a Commonwealth that opposed racial discrimination. He had be well advised by Civil Servant and ardent Keynesian, Robert Bryce that if Aparteid South Africa, with British support, had been allowed to remain in the Commonwealth most of the Asian and African countries would leave, defeating the purpose of the Commonwealth and making it nothing more than a whites-only club.
Further Reading:
Lament for a Nation by George Grant
Alliance and Illusion: Canada and the world 1945-1984 by Robert Bothwell (To learn more about Diefenbaker and the Commonwealth of Nations)
http://woyingi.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/reflections-john-diefenbaker-and-the-un-hyphenated-nation/
Posted in Apartheid, Canadian History, Countries: Canada, Countries: South Africa by the woyingi blogger on March 27, 2010
I’m helping the daughter of an aunty of mine with her History Summative. It has to be on a Canadian Prime Minister. She chose John Diefenbaker. I was happy about this because since reading Canadian philosopher George Grant’s “Lament for a Nation“, I have been fascinated by John Diefenbaker and his involvement in promoting civil rights in Canada.
John Diefenbaker led the Conservative Party to victory in 1957. He was the Prime Minister of Canada from 1957 to 1963. Growing up, I absorbed some snippets of Diefenbaker’s history from TV, but like most Canadians my age, I didn’t learn much about Canadian history and frankly felt that our history was boring.
John Diefenbaker
I knew about the Diefenbunker and wanted to visit there some day (I still haven’t managed to yet). I knew that Diefenbaker didn’t get along with President John F. Kennedy but I didn’t really know why. I knew that Diefenbaker had cancelled the Avro Arrow but didn’t know why. I also had come to my own conclusion that Diefenbaker was one of our ugliest Prime Ministers.
But while reading Grant’s Lament for a Nation I discovered that Diefenbaker was something of a progressive for his time, despite being the leader of the Conservative Party.
Diefenbaker once said “I am the first Prime Minister of this country of neither altogether English nor French origin. So I determined to bring about a Canadian citizenship that knew no hyphenated consideration.”- March 29, 1958, Maclean’s. Diefenbaker believed in promoting an “unhyphenated” Canadian identity, and that protecting the rights of all Canadians, regardless of race or national origin, was key in building the idea of Canada as “one nation”. However, this position make him quite unpopular among the Québecois.
Here is a list of some of the positions, decisions, and accomplishments of Diefenbaker that I think were pretty progressive and important for more Canadians to know about:
1) Diefenbaker opposed the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II
While an MP in the Conservative Opposition, Diefenbaker was appointed to the House Committee on the Defense of Canada Regulations. This committee was an all-party committee responsible for examining the war-time rules related to arrest and detention without trial. When Mackenzie King’s Liberals sought to forcably relocate Japanese Canadians from the Pacific Coast and interned them, Diefenbaker was against such actions. I wonder how much this had to do with his background as a German. At the time, Diefenbaker was concerned about Canadians accusing German Canadians of disloyalty and during his early political career he had been called a “Hun” and faced harassment because of his obviously German last name. It should really be no surprise that redress for the internment of Japanese Canadians were made under the Conservative Government of Brian Mulroney, seeing as this had been an action that Conservatives like Diefenbaker had opposed.
2) Diefenbaker and First Nations’ Rights
On March 31, 1960, First Nations and Inuit peoples were given the right to vote in Canada by the Diefenbaker Conservatives. This allowed Registered Indians living On-Reserve the right to vote in federal elections for the first time. Before this, if a Registered or Status Indian wanted to vote, he had to renounce his Status.
3) Diefenbaker’s Appointment of James Gladstone, the First Status Indian Sentator
Although Cree by birth, James Gladstone was adopted by the Blood/Kainai Tribe, a member of the Blackfoot Nation, because he was born on one of their reserves. He was President of the Indian Association of Alberta and was appointed to the Senate in 1958, two years before Status Indians were given the right to vote in federal elections. Gladstone’s presence in the Senate was key in pressuring Parliment to grant Status Indians their civil rights.
4) Diefenbaker’s Appointment of Ellen Fairclough, the First Woman Cabinet Minister
In 1957, Diefenbaker appointed the first woman federal cabinet minister, Ellen Fairclough. She held the posts of Secretary of State, and later Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. During her time in Parliment, she worked on issues related to the status of women, including private members bills pushing for equal pay for equal work for women.
5) The Canadian Bill of Rights
Taken from Diefenbaker’s Bill of Rights by Thomas Axworthy:
John Diefenbaker was a passionate advocate for the rights of the downtrodden, and as early as 1936 he had begun to draft a Canadian Bill of Rights. Elected to the House of Commons in 1940, Diefenbaker began to introduce annually a private member’s bill enunciating a made-in-Canada Bill of Rights. Becoming leader of the Conservative Party in 1956, Diefenbaker stunned Canada with an upset victory over the Liberal Party in 1957, and work on a Canadian Bill of Rights began immediately. Believing that Canada’s internment of the Japanese during World War II was a disgrace, he told the House of Commons that a Bill of Rights “would make Parliament freedom-conscious.” In August of 1960, his cherished Bill of Rights was proclaimed.
Mr. Diefenbaker made the strategic decision that his Bill of Rights would apply only to the federal jurisdiction. He did not believe that the provinces would agree to amend the Constitution. “Let us clear our own doorstep first,” he told critics who said he did not go far enough.
6) Diefenbaker and Aparteid South Africa
Taken from The Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online:
Despite his vehement rejection of the South African policy of apartheid, Diefenbaker was hesitant to consider exclusion of South Africa from membership in the British Commonwealth on the ground that the association should not interfere in the domestic affairs of its members. Political pressure for action intensified after disorders and a police massacre of peaceful demonstrators in Sharpeville in March 1960. At a meeting of Commonwealth prime ministers in May Diefenbaker worked with Prime Minister Macmillan to avoid a split among the leaders along racial lines. They found their escape in convenient delay. The conference offered South Africa time to revise its policies by agreeing that in the event it chose to become a republic, it would have to request consent from other Commonwealth members for readmission to the association. When South Africa’s whites voted that October in favour of a republic, Prime Minister Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd announced that he would seek continuing Commonwealth membership at the meeting in March 1961. Diefenbaker arrived at that meeting carrying divided counsels on South Africa, some calling for its exclusion, some for renewal of its membership coupled with a Commonwealth statement on racial equality, and others for further delay. As the conference opened he was undecided, but at the suggestion of Bryce he advocated a declaration of principles to be adopted before a decision on South Africa’s readmission. The effect would be to force a choice on South Africa rather than on the other members. When Verwoerd called for additional wording which would exclude his country’s practices from blame, Diefenbaker sided with the non-white leaders in rejecting the proposal. Verwoerd withdrew the South African application and left the meeting. Following South Africa’s departure, the conference dropped the effort to adopt a declaration of principles, but Diefenbaker told reporters that non-discrimination was an “unwritten principle” of the association and that it was “in keeping with the course of my life.” He accepted the outcome as the least divisive one possible and received wide praise at home and abroad for his defence of the principle of non-discrimination.
Diefenbaker’s position negatively affected his relationship with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who already thought Diefenbaker was a nuisance because of his interference in Britain’s economic policies. Diefenbaker was the only one of the white Prime Ministers to take an unequivocal stand against aparteid and spoke of a Commonwealth that opposed racial discrimination. He had be well advised by Civil Servant and ardent Keynesian, Robert Bryce that if Aparteid South Africa, with British support, had been allowed to remain in the Commonwealth most of the Asian and African countries would leave, defeating the purpose of the Commonwealth and making it nothing more than a whites-only club.
Further Reading:
Lament for a Nation by George Grant
Alliance and Illusion: Canada and the world 1945-1984 by Robert Bothwell (To learn more about Diefenbaker and the Commonwealth of Nations)
http://woyingi.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/reflections-john-diefenbaker-and-the-un-hyphenated-nation/
comment:
Thank you for your thoughts and comments on John Diefenbaker who, as you say, was so far ahead of his time in advocating for social justice issues. Whether apartheid in South Africa or First Nations rights here at home, Diefenbaker was a passionate advocate for equity.
I am the owner of Fireside Publishing House in the Toronto area. We are producing the Leaders & Legacies series of historical fiction novels for children on our Canadian prime ministers, imagining their lives at about age 12 wherever they were actually living at that time. Book One in the series, released last fall, is called The Mystery of the Moonlight Murder: An Early Adventure of John Diefenbaker. While the adventure itself is fictional, the history of the time (in 1908 Saskatchewan) is accurate. I tried to foreshadow the man to come, who would come to believe so strongly in human rights. A guide at the back lets parents and teachers (and the reader) know what was real and what wasn’t.
Our hope is that these books will hook kids on Canadian history so that they will go on and read further information about our leaders.
I do hope your daughter learned a lot about Diefenbaker and the Canada he envisioned.
Best wishes,
Roderick Benns
Thank you for your thoughts and comments on John Diefenbaker who, as you say, was so far ahead of his time in advocating for social justice issues. Whether apartheid in South Africa or First Nations rights here at home, Diefenbaker was a passionate advocate for equity.
I am the owner of Fireside Publishing House in the Toronto area. We are producing the Leaders & Legacies series of historical fiction novels for children on our Canadian prime ministers, imagining their lives at about age 12 wherever they were actually living at that time. Book One in the series, released last fall, is called The Mystery of the Moonlight Murder: An Early Adventure of John Diefenbaker. While the adventure itself is fictional, the history of the time (in 1908 Saskatchewan) is accurate. I tried to foreshadow the man to come, who would come to believe so strongly in human rights. A guide at the back lets parents and teachers (and the reader) know what was real and what wasn’t.
Our hope is that these books will hook kids on Canadian history so that they will go on and read further information about our leaders.
I do hope your daughter learned a lot about Diefenbaker and the Canada he envisioned.
Best wishes,
Roderick Benns
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BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Honouring Nelson Mandela- Canada style of real, raw and righteous of a Canadian Citizen South Africa's Son- Peace of Christ - free at last/JANUARY 27 2015-CANADA POST HONOURS MANDELA WITH A STAMP
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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau signing the Constitution.Photographed by Robert Cooper April 17, 1982.Library and Archives Canada, accession number:
Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
The History of the Charter
Canada's original Constitution, the British North America Act, was passed in 1867 by British Parliament. This Act, also known as the Constitution Act, 1867, founded Canada as a nation. It made elected governments the highest political and legal institutions in the country. The Constitution distributed power between the federal and provincial governments. Unlike the United States Constitution, Canada's Constitution did not have a "Bill of Rights" that governments had to follow.
In 1960, the federal government passed the Canadian Bill of Rights. This law statute was not part of the Constitution. It had no more power than any other law. The Bill spoke of fundamental freedoms, legal rights and equality before the law. But if a law itself was discriminatory, the Bill of Rights was generally not helpful. As well, the Bill only applied to federal, not provincial laws.
In 1960, the federal government passed the Canadian Bill of Rights. This law statute was not part of the Constitution. It had no more power than any other law. The Bill spoke of fundamental freedoms, legal rights and equality before the law. But if a law itself was discriminatory, the Bill of Rights was generally not helpful. As well, the Bill only applied to federal, not provincial laws.
Because Canada's original Constitution was an Act of British Parliament, it could only be changed by Britain. For many years, Canada's Prime Ministers had been looking to "bring the constitution home." Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau also wanted to include a Charter of Rights in the Constitution.
The Charter was significantly inspired by documents such as the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Other international influences included the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In the fall of 1980, the Canadian government set up a special all-party committee to hear what people had to say about a suggested Charter. With televised hearings, the committee listened to over 300 presentations from women, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, ethnic and cultural minorities, and others. The committee also considered 1200 written submissions about the Charter. From this, the committee made 123 recommendations to improve the Charter - over half are in the final document.
It was difficult for the provinces to agree to changes to the Constitution. On the night of November 4, 1981, in the kitchen of the Ottawa Chateau Laurier hotel, then Federal Justice Minister Jean Chrétien and the Attorneys General from Saskatchewan and Ontario, Roy Romanow and Roy McMurtry, came up with a plan - popularly referred to as the "Kitchen Accord." The plan gave provinces a way of temporarily avoiding some parts of the Charter (see Clauses and Provisions - the section 33 "notwithstanding clause"). This led to stronger support from the provinces and opened the way for a Constitution that included a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Charter is a part of the Constitution Act, 1982; all of which is in the Canada Act, 1982. Receiving the approval of the Britain for the last time, on April 17, 1982 in Ottawa, Queen Elizabeth II signed the Canada Act, 1982. This gave Canada control over its Constitution. The guarantee of rights and freedoms in the Charter became part of the supreme law of the land.
The Charter is a part of the Constitution Act, 1982; all of which is in the Canada Act, 1982. Receiving the approval of the Britain for the last time, on April 17, 1982 in Ottawa, Queen Elizabeth II signed the Canada Act, 1982. This gave Canada control over its Constitution. The guarantee of rights and freedoms in the Charter became part of the supreme law of the land.
The equality rights section of the Charter was delayed until April 17, 1985. This gave governments time to update laws to meet equality requirements.
Having a Charter of Rights and Freedoms in our Constitution has brought Canada in line with other liberal democracies in the world, all of whom have bills of rights that can be enforced by the courts.
Having a Charter of Rights and Freedoms in our Constitution has brought Canada in line with other liberal democracies in the world, all of whom have bills of rights that can be enforced by the courts.
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CANADA-
How Nelson Mandela found inspiration in Canada
Former South African president given honorary citizenship
The Canadian Press Posted: Dec 06, 2013 5:00 AM ET
The country that bestowed its highest accolades and even honorary citizenship upon Nelson Mandela was often described by the legendary freedom fighter as a source of inspiration throughout his struggle for racial equality in South Africa.
Mandela found sympathy in Canada for his cause when he himself was not able to fight for it, allies who supported his mission during his long incarceration, and adoring devotees who welcomed him as a native son upon his release.
Mandela in canada
Former South African president Nelson Mandela waves to the crowd during a ceremony in Hull, Que., where he was presented with an honourary Canadian citizenship on Nov. 19, 2001. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)
Historians say Canada even served as a blueprint for Mandela when he finally took the helm of his country as president.
That feeling lasted until Mandela's death. South African President Jacob Zuma made the announcement of Mandela's death at a news conference late Thursday, saying "we've lost our greatest son."
Scholars say Canada's appreciation for Mandela took root long before he had garnered global praise for his role in bringing an end to apartheid rule in South Africa and championing equality for blacks throughout his home country.
Linda Freeman, a professor of political studies at Carleton University specializing in South African studies, said grass roots anti-apartheid organizations began forming across the country as early as the 1970s.
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Church groups, community organizations and Canadian chapters of Mandela's African National Congress mobilized efforts to resist the regime even as Mandela himself languished in prison serving a life sentence for plotting to overthrow the government.
Their efforts to lobby both Ottawa and the Canadian business community fell on deaf ears for some time, Freeman said, adding prime ministers from John Diefenbaker to John Turner did little to curb a prosperous trading relationship with South Africa.
Longtime ambivalence
"Canada had a long, very undistinguished record of being totally ambivalent towards South Africa," Freeman said in a telephone interview from Vernon, B.C. "The most we would do for a long time would be to condemn apartheid in the United Nations, but staunchly support trade and investment. It was a fairly hypocritical policy."
That changed when Brian Mulroney took power in 1985, she said, adding he quickly emerged as a vocal champion of Mandela's cause.
He broke ranks with other western leaders by loudly speaking out against the apartheid regime while imposing strict economic sanctions against the government, she said.
Mandela's visits to Canada
Nelson Mandela visited Canada three times. Click here to read about his time in a country where he experienced what he called his "greatest moment ever outside South Africa."
Vern Harris, Mandela's chief archivist and head of memory programming at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, said the freedom fighter was aware of Canada's growing support for his cause during the 27 years of his incarceration.
"That solidarity meant a lot to the prisoners, it meant a lot to the organizations that were involved in the liberation struggle," Harris said in a telephone interview. "I think there was a strong appreciation for that long before he ever visited Canada himself."
That initial visit was made mere months after he was finally released on Feb. 11, 1990, although preparations had begun a few months before.
Zeib Jeeva, then an anti-apartheid activist in Toronto, remembers hearing from Mandela's African National Congress in London in late 1989 that they were organizing a Nelson Mandela Reception Committee to celebrate his eventual release.
Jeeva, who grew up in South Africa, and some friends soon set up a similar committee in Toronto. After organizing a celebration on Toronto's Danforth Avenue the day Mandela was released, they went on to organize his first visit to Canada.
Jeeva told CBC News that visiting Canada was a priority for Mandela, thanks to Canada's leadership under Mulroney in calling for anti-apartheid sanctions.
Phenomenal aura
Jeeba said his first meeting with Mandela was unbelievable.
"The aura around him was just phenomenal."
Harris said Mandela made a point of accepting Mulroney's explicit invitation to visit as soon as possible.
"He was prioritizing countries which at that time had a particular significance to the liberation struggle. Canada was way up there as one of the first countries he visited after his release," he said.
Harris and Freeman were interviewed for this story before Mandela's death, when he was ailing.
Mandela's arrival on June. 17, 1990, marked the first of three visits during which both parties fairly outdid themselves with offers of thanks and praise.
Politicians spoke of Mandela's courage and convictions, while Mandela singled out Canada for upholding the values he hoped to see espoused at home.
Nelson Mandela is all smiles after being introduced by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at a dinner in Mandela's honour in Toronto on June 18, 1990. (Hans Deryk/Canadian Press)
"Your respect for diversity within your own society and your tolerant and civilized manner of dealing with the challenges of difference and diversity had always been our inspiration," Mandela said during his first address to the Canadian Parliament.
Those words were not just idle flattery, Harris said. When Mandela was elected president of South Africa four years after his release, he and his government aides made a point of scrutinizing policies and practices from other countries that could serve as a model for an emerging democracy.
Canada, Harris said, served as a template in areas ranging from education to water treatment to social policy.
"When he talked about Canada providing an example and an inspiration, it was based on really hard engagement with Canada's experiences," he said.
Mandela's opinion of Canada never publicly cooled during his subsequent visits, during which he was lavished with some of this country's greatest honours.
Rare honour
He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest possible rank, during his second trip in September 1998.
For his final visit in November 2001, he became one of only five foreigners to be made an honorary Canadian citizen.
Adulation came from dignitaries and everyday people alike, with throngs of supporters turning out for most of his public appearances.
Mandela's popularity was most dramatically on display during the 1998 tour, which saw him address a rally of more than 40,000 schoolchildren in downtown Toronto. On that occasion, he heaped praise on a new generation of Canadians.
"You have made me feel like a young man again with my batteries recharged," he told the rally.
Nelson Mandela shakes hands with a youngster after receiving a book as a gift in Toronto on June 19, 1990. (Hans Deryk/Canadian Press)
"The greatest joy has been to discover that there are so many children in this country who care about other children around the world."
Jeeva was one of the organizers of that event and said that now when he hears from someone who was at the event — "they are almost adult now" — they mention how Mandela left quite a mark on them. "They know about reconciliation, racism and stuff like that," Jeeva said.
Still, Harris said the sunny relationship Mandela had with Canada was occasionally dimmed by a passing cloud.
In his 2010 book Conversations with Myself, Mandela lamented the fact that Canadian police "roughly" ejected a heckler from one of his public appearances in 1990 without giving him a chance to respond to her concerns.
Rude awakening
Interactions with Canadians also shed light on his own preconceptions, according to the book. Mandela wrote of his first encounter with Inuit teens during a 1990 refuelling stop in Iqaluit (although the book incorrectly has the stop taking place in Goose Bay, Labrador), recollecting that he was surprised by their level of education.
"I had never seen an Eskimo and I had always thought of them as people who are catching ... polar bears and seals," he said.
"I was amazed to find out that these were high school children.... It was the most fascinating conversation, precisely because it was shocking. I was rudely shocked, awakened to the fact that my knowledge of the Eskimo community was very backward."
Occasional voices were raised in protest of Mandela's warm reception, notably then-Alliance MP Rob Anders who in 2001 blocked unanimous consent for a motion in the House of Commons on honorary citizenship for Mandela, reportedly telling two Liberal MPs Mandela was a "Communist and a terrorist."
The vast majority of Canadians, however, regarded Mandela as a hero and role model without peer.
Former prime minister Joe Clark summed up the majority Canadian view with his comments made the day Canada voted to officially grant Mandela the status that would make him one of our own.
"With a flick of his wrist ... Nelson Mandela could have triggered revolution and his country would be in flames," Clark said.
"He did not. He did the opposite."
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BLOGGED:
this is the blog I posted showing appreciation 2 Boston and stories about the Halifax Explosion .... and love 2 all of our Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotians of the day...simply 2 show triumph over tragedy....in 1917
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Dec 5-6 2013-NOVA SCOTIA THANKS OUR BOSTON- Halifax Explosion Dec. 6 1917- Canada thanks u- a beautiful journey of remembrance- of humanity
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Canada Remembers Nelson Mandela: An Honorary Canadian Citizen
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Have many blogs here on our incredible Black people of Nova Scotia- especially Black Royalists.... along with IDLE NO MORE THE FIRST PEOPLE OF THE AMERICAS 10,000 years.... and all our cultures, Acadian, Scots, Irish, Asian, European, French, Africas, Russias and Muslim Nations... because Canada is a land of immigrants.... especially our forefathers who built this nation coming here with just their bare hands, a Bible, raw courage and a dream.... hugs and love 2 all Canada.... and because of Ukraine... we may have 2 fight the good fight once a bloody again.... because 4 Ukrain 2 go back 2 the slavery of Putin of Russia's USSR building... is just wrong.... just wrong...
... this is the time of the Christ child... celebration... our beautiful children... and the child in all of us...and remembering our troops then, now, always
BLACK HISTORY NOVA SCOTIA William Hall Nova Scotia- Victoria Cross -4 Bravery-
Crimean War
1853 – 1856
Crimean War Monument- Halifax Nova Scotia- the oldest and only one in Canada- old Burial Grounds
A rare pre-Confederation war memorial
Officially unveiled 17 July 1860
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This was written by the sister of one of my very best friends....
CAMADOAM William Hall, V.C.: The Naval Veteran (2:44 min.)
William Hall, V.C. was born in Summerville and was the first member of the Navy from British North America to receive the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious of military medals. William received the medal for a heroic rescue that he participated in during the Indian Uprising of 1758. The rescue mission captured the imagination of the Victorian public: the mission was known to every school boy in the Empire. While initially buried without military honours in an unmarked grave, William was later buried beneath a stone cairn on the lawn of the Baptist Church in Hantsport, Hants Co..
CANADA'S BEST KEPT SECRET-
The Black Battalion- Canada
Juanita Pleasant Wilbur of Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
They came two hundred to answer the call
But only to fall
Their way was not paved
For a country they wanted to save
The battle cry went out
But these men were ousted
Their colour was wrong
Their courage strong
From battle line to battle line they went
But no one wanted them
A checker-board army they were called
Their courage strong they still persisted
For the right to fight for a country they loved
For the right to live as all men
Free and strong
The march was on, their will was strong
From place to place they went
Rejected by all, their cry was heard
Let us do our best
Don't let us be less
Give us a chance to build a life for our children
Let us make our mark
Give us a chance to stand proud and free
Rejected and tired of waiting
They finally saw the light
You're on a flight
Over-seas you're bound
At last you found your place
A checker-board army has been born
A remembrance to my Grand-dad, Private Wallace James Pleasant and all the black men who fought and became know as Canada's best kept secret.
We love you all so much.... to my Fannie (Clements) Brothers and to my Debbie Pleasant-Joseph ..... love you all so much....
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Canada's Black-Negro Soldiers
Introduction
Image: Black soldiers have had a long history of defending Canada. The Volunteer Military Company from Victoria, BC, active between 1860 and 1864, served during the American Civil War (photograph by Charles Gentile, courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-022626).What are the forgotten stories of African-Canadian history? There are several, and their absence has led to many misconceptions about the role of Black people in the development of Canada.
One fact is that the first African arrival took place over 400 years ago with interpreter Mathieu da Costa. Since that time, Black people have been constantly coming into Canada helping to build it. Another is the idea that Black people have not "paid their dues," have not served in any military defense of Canada, that Black people are not pulling their weight or taking the level of responsibility that they should as good citizens of Canada.
However, the reality is that African-Canadians have volunteered in every case for active duty, and persisted even when they were not wanted. In order to help defend Canada, separate Black units were created, the first one, on the initiative of African-Canadian Richard Pierpoint. Black people have consistently defended the interests of Canada, or the British controlled territory of Canada from the time of the American Revolutionary War through to the Mackenzie Rebellions and the present.
Whether they were born in Canada, or newcomers supporting the direction that Canada was taking, African-Canadians have been ongoing defenders of this nation, allowing us all to experience the freedoms that we have today.
Rosemary Sadlier
Image: Black soldiers have had a long history of defending Canada. The Volunteer Military Company from Victoria, BC, active between 1860 and 1864, served during the American Civil War (photograph by Charles Gentile, courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-022626).
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TELLING THE TRUTH: SEGREGATED BLACK SCHOOLS IN NOVA SCOTIA Doris Evans (Fannie Brothers' sister) and Gertrude Tynes- teachers wrote this....
Book Review
by DORIS EVANS*
Speech delivered to the September, 1990 reunion of retired teachers of segregated schools
Shunpiking Magazine
Black History & African Heritage Supplement
February/March, 2000, Volume 5, Number 32
WE ARE GATHERED here tonight for the purpose of reflecting on the History of our Black Schools and what we have done or can do to bring about progress. I come to you, not as a historian, nor an expert but as an experienced teacher-retiree of Nova Scotia, with a sincere interest in the educational matters of students and the community at large.
I would like to reflect on a couple of experiences of my own so you can understand from whence I have come. The students of the community where I lived were attending an integrated school. We had a few problems, etc., but we had managed to get through. When I reached grade nine at this two-room school, my problems started. The proprietor of the general store, where the members of the Black Community purchased all of their groceries, garden tools, some clothing, etc., would be sending his daughter to school in the fall. He did not want his daughter to attend school with the "coloured kids." The Trustees purchased a piece of property from an individual of the Black Community who had no children attending school. A new one-room school opened in the Black Community in September. The teacher they hired could not teach grade nine. What was I to do? I then had to go back to the school from which I had come, knowing that I was not wanted. I was determined to get my education so I went, sat in the corner all year, worked hard, wrote my exams, passed and went on to the Kings County Academy. No problems there. I graduated and went to the Provincial Normal College.
On graduation, the Inspector of Schools addressed us and told the graduates where there were openings for teachers. He came to me (the only Black student in the graduating class) and told me there were two schools with openings for teachers -- Partridge River at East Preston and Hammonds Plains School. I knew neither community so I chose the first on the list. The beginning of my teaching career was at East Preston.
Past experiences have shown us some of the reasons for not being educated. Years ago there were no schools. Our forefathers were not allowed to learn. Often times if you had a white friend whom was attending school, that friend would come home and help you to read and write. And that individual would, in return, help their younger brothers and sisters.
The friends and residents of the Black Communities saw the need to have their own schools, as they were not allowed to attend schools near their area. The first of the segregated schools were small, one-room facilities heated by a wood stove. Oil lamps provided lighting. Water was brought in containers (pails), for drinking purposes. The seats were large enough to seat two, and sometimes three students, in one. They had outdoor bathroom facilities. Only the basic material was available for teaching in the early days, a slate, chalk; later days, chalk, chalk boards, pencils, scribblers, readers, etc. On many occasions teachers bought newspapers, catalogues, books of their own and paper to be used by the students. Some prepared their own reading material. Salaries were very low, and when you received it depended on when the property taxes were paid by the residents.
From conversations with elders, I learned that in one community (Middle Sackville) Black children lived very close to the school attended by the majority, but were not allowed to attend because of their race. It was then that a concerned citizen of the white community (Mrs. Plessa Caldwell) began teaching the Black students in her kitchen. These children were being given the opportunity to get some schooling because someone cared.
As time went on, most of the Black communities had either renovated the existing building or built new facilities to accommodate the growing population of students.
These facilities were one room, two rooms, three rooms and in some cases were larger. They had electricity, furnaces for heating, and indoor bathroom facilities. One community, North Preston, had two schools; which also has the only segregated school left in Nova Scotia. Home Economics and Industrial Arts were taught by circuit teachers. Amid all the inconveniences which we encountered in these schools, one aspect of teaching in a segregated school which we cherished was the Annual Christmas Concerts. The students would go "all out" to take part -- say recitations, take part in the singing of the favourite songs, and acting in plays about Christmas events. It was beautiful! These events will always be remembered!
Many teachers for the Black schools were extracted from the high schools with no training. They were given a permit to teach in that particular school. They were hard-working, dedicated, concerned individuals; often times they attended summer school at various universities to upgrade themselves. And in some cases, there were those persons who broke the bonds that had held others back and became registered teachers. I recall, after I had graduated from high school, that the Inspector of Schools came to my home and asked my parents if I would be allowed to teach that year instead of attending the Normal College. I, or I should say my parents, refused. I thank them for that.
During the teachers' first years of teaching, they realized their duties were not confined to the classroom. They were expected to know the parents of the pupils so that they might understand the background of the children. They were expected to see that habits of courtesy and health were carried over from the classroom to the home. They must observe and correct all the physical defects and try to eliminate faulty mental and physical habits, no easy task, when much of the children's lives were lived out of her sight and beyond her jurisdiction.
The teacher's attention and services were not considered to be property of her pupils alone. They were to take part in community activities; not just to come and sit comfortably and enjoy themselves but get in there and make the project a success. The parents looked to them for guidance and advice not only concerning the welfare of their children, but of any other matter pertaining to the community.
Behaviour and my experience
Teachers were respected by members of the community and, if a problem arose at school with the students, teachers were usually backed by the parents.
I would like to tell you an experience I had with a grade nine student. During this particular geography class, one young man was talking and not doing his seat work. I asked him to stop talking. He did, but in a few minutes he was back at it again! After speaking to him twice, I reminded him that if he couldn't stop, and it happened again, I was going to send him home. After a few minutes, he was back at it again! As I had told him before: if he continued to talk, I would send him home. I had to do it. He begged me to please let him stay. I said, "Go Home". He went. The next morning at school, a knock came at the door. I answered. It was the young man and his father. His father said, "You'll have no more trouble with_______! I didn't.
In some cases, students were able to slip into the realm of getting a higher education, but the majority of students were not allowed. After receiving their education at the segregated schools, there was nowhere to go, so they dropped out of school and took a job (if they could get one). Later on, adult classes were provided for those who wished to upgrade themselves, and prepare them to write exams (GED). This has been in effect for many years.
In the 1950s, some changes took place. All schools in the Halifax County area were taken over by the Halifax County Municipal School Board and I presume all schools in Nova Scotia did likewise. This included salaries for teachers along with materials -- long a problem.
Integration of schools came about. Students could now further their education by attending schools in other areas to hopefully graduate and be able to continue their studies at a university level if they preferred.
This is a good policy, but there are some problems regarding that. Racism is one. As long as racism exists in the school system, there will be problems. Two things I have encountered in the school system is stereotyping and double standards -- one set for Blacks, one for the majority. This is where we have to take a stand and be vocal.
Consolidation of schools was instituted which would encourage integration. Many of the Black segregated schools were closed and students bused to schools outside of the community. Some parents didn't like the idea of their children always being bussed from the communities but did feel the importance of their children being integrated at an early age. A parent told me one time that a student at the school where her daughter attended told her daughter, "My mom said if you were white, you could be my friend." There is where the problems lie.
While teaching at Partridge River, and schools were built to provide integration, I often said to myself, "Can I teach other children." In 1970 when Ross Road School was built -- with students from five other schools feeding into that school, one being Partridge River -- I decided to prove to myself that I can teach anyone regardless of colour. I was there 15 years, enjoyed most of my time there and learned a lot.
I've already mentioned the first young man. Now I'll tell you of an experience at the integrated school. Again a young man was talking. I told him if he couldn't control his talking that I would send him outside in the hall. After a few minutes his friend raised his hand. I said "Yes." He said, "Chris says if you put your hands on him, his mother will sue you." I told him, "Don't worry! We'll handle that when it happens."
In 1966, another important factor in the lives of the Black students was the forming of the Education Incentive Program for Black Students, initiated by the Negro Education Council (now the Black Educators Association). Gus Wedderburn and I, along with others, were members of that Council. This program gives bursaries to Black students who qualify to further their education through universities or other institutions. Although this program is approximately 27-years-old, members of the majority community do not understand the objectives. They often talk about, 'Blacks getting paid to go to school.'
In the early years of integration, as well as before, it was very difficult for the students to learn about the achievements of Blacks. Many Blacks have contributed, in many ways, to the welfare of our country. But that history appears to be "Lost, Stolen or Strayed." Students were unable to have any self-esteem because they had always been "put down," and they knew nothing of the past contributions of the Blacks. Today black history has been incorporated in the curriculum but it is merely a course for whosoever wants to take it. I feel that it should be incorporated in the Social Studies Program -- starting with the elementary grades.
The Black Educators Association was formed in 1969 to assist communities throughout the province to develop strategies to improve the quality of education for Blacks. ...
The Black Professional Women's group organized in 1969. They wanted to seek ways to improve some of the poor conditions which existed in the schools (segregated). Their objectives were to develop awareness through educational, cultural, and social means and also to provide a bursary to assist Black female students who would be attending institutions of higher learning.
The Black Cultural Centre, 1983, is a centre for the preservation and protection of Black Culture. It depicts pictures, photographs, artifacts, and documents, providing an opportunity for Black residents to learn more about themselves and have a deep sense of pride and identity amongst themselves. It is also for the general public to learn about the contributions Blacks have made to society.
To the teachers
I know that you have the foresight to know that you can make a difference in the lives of your students. Believe in them. If you are concerned and interested in the success of all children, you will make a difference.
A little boy in grade two said to his teacher, "Teacher, you always tell me when you are disappointed in me, how come you do not tell me when you are appointed in me?"
Two teachers from Bell Park Academic Centre have produced a video that can be used to show how Black history can be taught in the elementary schools. This has been widely accepted by the department of education and is used quite widely in schools. Challenge your students to be the best they can be.
To the retirees
Although you have retired from the teaching profession, there is still an opportunity for you to be of use in society. There is always something you can become involved in.
To everyone
My motto, from my first day of teaching, has been, "If I can help somebody as I go along, then my living shall not be in vain."
* Slightly edited for the purposes of this publication from Telling the Truth: Reflections on the History of Segregated Schools, Doris Evans and Gertrude Tynes, Lancelot Press, 1995. Since her retirement, Mrs. Evans has taught job entry programs and career exploration for women, and served as a resource person for the Literacy Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Preston Area Learning Skills Program, North Preston.
Photo cptions
Weymouth Falls
Weymouth Falls School, built in the late 1800s. 70-80 students were taught in one room.
Partridge River
Partridge River School staff, East Preston, in the 1950s.
Henry
The two-room Henry G. Bauld School was built in 1949 for the children of the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children. It became a community centre after it was closed in 1967.
Gidson's woods
Gibson's Wood School, just outside Kentville. The children of this community attended an integrated school until 1941, when trustees of the Centreville School dictated that Black students should be segregated. The school was a one-room facility with outdoor bathrooms, no electricty, and a wood stove. Drinking water was provided in a water jug. After the first few years, no qualified Black teachers were available for this school.
New Convoy
The Acaciaville School, Digby County, was opened in the late 1800s when two communities, Acaciaville and Joggins-New Conway, united to build it. In this one-room school, primary to grade three was taught in the morning and grade four to eight in the afternoon.
Upper Big Tracadie
Upper Big Tracadie School in Guysborough County. A one-room school with grades primary to grade seven, it existed until around 1958 when consolidation took place and local schools were integrated.
The September 7-9, 1990 reunion of retired teachers from Nova Scotia's segregated schools, at the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia
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Canadian Army News
Today in Canadian Military History: Adjutant-General of Militia writes to Thomas Runchey of Niagara to raise a detachment of Blacks. By December 15th, about 50 men are under his command (1837). http://ow.ly/7U4NK
Black soldiers in the Rebellion of 1837
They fought valiantly on many of the War of 1812 battlefields, including Queenston Heights, Fort George, Niagara, Stoney Creek and Lundy's Lane, and in naval engagements on Lake Ontario. This history is presented at Fort George National Historic Site of Canada, in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
At the end of the hostilities, veterans were promised severance pay and land grants. Although not all black veterans obtained grants, a few did settle on land made available in Oro Township near present-day Barrie. Here, the government hoped they would serve as a defensive bulwark against potential American invasion via Georgian Bay. The Oro AME Church in Edgar is recognized as nationally significant because of its association with this early period of black settlement. The role of black military forces in the War of 1812 continued to inspire African Americans with the hope that a free life was possible if they could reach British territory. Following the war there was a steady movement of refugees into Upper Canada.
By the outbreak of the Rebellion of 1837, the black population in Upper Canada had grown considerably. To reformer and rebel William Lyon Mackenzie's frustration, African Canadians remained steadfastly loyal to the Crown. In December 1837, a request
was made to raise another regiment of black militia. Additional black units were raised under James H. Sears and Hugh Eccles in the Niagara area. Near Chatham, a First and a Second Coloured Company were mustered. Like many other communities close to the border, African Canadian communities did not always wait for formal military mustering and often formed volunteer units and drilled themselves. In Windsor, Underground Railroad community leader Josiah Henson commanded such a company of volunteers, which was associated with the Essex Militia.
The service records of the black militia units were impressive. Sears' company supported the attack on the American ship Caroline, which had been supplying Mackenzie's forces on Navy Island. Near Sandwich, the Essex Militia, including Josiah Henson's unit of volunteers, took possession of the rebel schooner Anne, which had been firing on the town from the Detroit River. Along with Capt. Caldwell's Coloured Corps (123 volunteers), Henson's men also helped defend Fort Malden from December 1837 through May 1838. Hastily re-mustered troops, including 50 black volunteers, defended Windsor from a late attack in 1838. The role of the black militia at Amherstburg is integral to the reasons for the designation of Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada.
The System of National Historic Sites of Canada
Commemorating the Undergr ound Railroad in Canada
http://www.pc.gc.ca/canada/proj/cfc-ugrr/itm2-com/pg19_e.asp
blog
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NOVA SCOTIA'S BLACK LOYALISTS-Canada's Checkerboard Army- Segregated Schools Nova Scotia -telling the truth-CANADA'S MILITARY- the honour, dignity, intelligence, duty- Boer, WWI WWII , Korea, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, UN Peacekeepers- CANADA PURE
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IDLE NO MORE CANADA- the First Peoples of the Americas 10,000 years
A Canadian Cree of One Arrow Reserve, Saskatchewan
Huron Carole By Tom Jackson.wmv
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Canada's Leonard Cohen incredible song- Merry Christmas all
Canadian Tenors - Hallelujah
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Peace of Christ at Christmas and all through the year- Our Canada was founded on Christianity- and we must never 4get our history- it built us... imho
Schubert - Ave Maria (Opera)
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