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Recognize August 1 as Emancipation Day across Canada

This petition made change with 4,095 supporters!

GREAT NEWS!

Motion 36 to recognize Emancipation Day, has passed! Watch the vote here. Read our latest update post for more!

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Black History in Canada has been muted. Black people have been in Canada for over 400 years and there is a wealth of history that contributes to heritage of this country. Give Black Canadian Heritage a voice, starting with the national observation of Emancipation Day on August 1, celebrating the Act for the Abolition of Slavery, which took effect in 1834 in many Commonwealth countries including Canada, South Africa and within the Caribbean.

Currently, the first Monday in August is an observed holiday in Ontario and is referred to  as a "Civic Holiday". This holiday has been dedicated to John Graves Simcoe, who passed the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada in 1793 but all slaves were not free until 41 years later with the Act for Abolition of Slavery in 1834. 

As of 2019, Toronto recognizes August as Emancipation Month. Honour Black Canadian Heritage and celebrate August 1 as a milestone in Canadian history that is recognized and observed across the country, coast to coast, sea to sea, "ad mari usque ad mare".

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