Tag: African Nova Scotian

That Hockey Photo Keeps Circulating. Let’s Get the History Right.

Black-and-white historical photo of a Black hockey team holding wooden sticks, centered on a black background with a yellow border; text above repeats the claim “Slaves Ran Away to Canada and Invented Ice Hockey,” stamped with a large red “FALSE,” and a BlackNovaScotia.ca logo appears in the bottom right corner.

A photo from the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes often circulates online with the claim that runaway slaves invented ice hockey in Canada. The image is real, the caption is not. Here’s why the timeline, geography, and documented history tell a more accurate and more powerful story about Black hockey in Nova Scotia.

The origin of Truro’s Black community

First published in 2000, this article by Donna Byard Sealey traces the origins of Truro’s Black community from the arrival of Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia through the growth of families, institutions, and traditions that sustained the community over generations.

Environmental Racism in Nova Scotia: What Was Promised, What Was Withheld, and What Black Communities Should Take From It

A social media graphic using a historic Africville photograph as its background. The image includes bold headline text discussing environmental racism in Nova Scotia, framed by a yellow border. The background photo shows unsafe water conditions in a Black community, reinforcing the article’s focus on environmental harm and systemic neglect.

For months, Nova Scotians heard about a provincial report on environmental racism not because it was released, but because parts of it leaked. When the government finally posted a draft, it raised more questions than it answered — about delay, accountability, and what justice actually looks like for Black and Mi’kmaq communities still living with the consequences. This piece breaks down what happened, why it matters, and what Black Nova Scotians should be watching for next.

Who/What is “African Nova Scotian”?

Collage of photographs showing African Nova Scotian community life, including elders speaking at rallies, families and children, musicians performing, faith leaders preaching, athletes and referees on a field, interviews at cultural events, and groups gathered for civic, cultural, and religious moments across Nova Scotia.

Across Nova Scotia, Black communities share rhythms, memories, and histories — but often remain disconnected from one another. This reflection looks at why that is, who benefits from it, and what solidarity could look like if we chose to build it.

Quebec Man Confronted at Historic Black Monument in New Glasgow

A still image shows a tense interaction at the Afrocentric Heritage Park in New Glasgow. A white man in a blue cap and shirt faces a Black man wearing a bicycle helmet and a black T-shirt with a lion design, as a police officer stands nearby watching. A monument plaque is visible in the foreground. Text over the image reads, "Historic Black Monument in New Glasgow Disrespected During Homecoming Week" inside a yellow border.

Yesterday morning, a white man was confronted by a group of Black community members at the Afrocentric Heritage Park Monument in New Glasgow after several ropes were strung across the structure, holding what appeared to be blankets or towels — laundry — on a monument built to honor the African Nova Scotian community, its history, and its ancestors.

Emancipation Day: A Reminder, Not a Celebration

A split-image collage framed in orange. On the left, Ruben “Rocky” Coward and former heavyweight boxer Kirk Johnson speak seriously outside the Truro Police Station after a rally. On the right, a smiling woman wearing an “Indigenous Lives Matter” shirt and a man in a bright yellow hoodie and bucket hat form a heart symbol with their hands at the 2021 Emancipation Day celebration in Grand Parade Square, Halifax. Both images depict moments of Black pride, unity, and resistance.

On August 1st, we mark Emancipation Day, a date commemorating the formal abolition of slavery across the British Empire in 1834. But to merely mark the date is not enough. Emancipation Day must not become an annual checkbox of recognition – a brief news mention or a series of well-meaning speeches – while the deeper meanings and unfinished struggles it represents remain obscured or ignored.

The Africville Lawsuit – Why It Still Matters

A weathered RV parked near the waterfront is covered in vibrant graffiti art. The left side features a large, stylized portrait of a man with a beard in orange, blue, and black tones. Bold graffiti text across the side reads “AFRICVILLE PROTEST.” Additional text on the right side says “50 YEARS” and “ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE.” Several empty chairs and a small deck are set up in front of the RV, with overgrown grass surrounding the area under a cloudy sky.

This past year, renewed legal efforts from original Africville residents and descendants, such as Eddie and Victor Carvery, have pushed back into court to seek justice that was never fully delivered. These are not just symbolic gestures. These are legal actions with real implications for land reclamation and financial redress.

First African Nova Scotian Chief Judge of Provincial, Family Courts Appointed: Perry Borden

New Chief Judge of Provincial, Family Courts, Perry Borden.

Judge Perry F. Borden will be the new chief judge of the Nova Scotia provincial and family courts.

Judge Borden was appointed to the bench in 2020 after serving as a Crown attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service. His time there included five years in the special prosecutions service, focusing on cybercrime, child pornography, child-luring and sexual assault offences.