OUR HISTORY
*Those highlighted in green represent historic events that occured within Ottawa!
Underground Railroad
Between 1800 to 1856, approximately 20,000 blacks found their way into Canada via the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman, one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad, spirited several hundred fugitive slaves into Canada, despite a $40,000 reward for her capture, dead or alive.
The Fist Migration Wave
London Oxford’s family was amongst five families that arrived with Philemon Wright to establish what we now know of as Hull/Gatineau. Oxford took up lands at the confluence of the Gatineau and Ottawa rivers as well as lots to the east near the southern tip of Kettle Island and the northern tip of Goose Island.
THE COCHRANE PROCLAMATION
The Cochrane Proclamation invites refugees of the War of 1812 to become British citizens through residence in British territory, including Canada. The settlement of Oro is established by the government for black veterans of the War of 1812. A Coloured Corps is formed after petitioning by black veteran Richard Pierpoint
SLAVERY ABOLISHMENT ACT
The British Imperial Act abolishes slavery in the British Empire (which included Canada) effective August 1, 1834.
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STEPS UP ITS OPERATIONS
The second Fugitive Slave Act is passed in the United States, placing all people of African descent at risk. The Underground Railroad steps up its operations – freeing enslaved blacks by transporting them into Canada. The Common Schools Act is passed in Ontario, permitting the development of segregated schools. The last segregated school in Ontario closed in the 1950s.
MARY ANN SHADD
Mary Ann Shadd left teaching in the U.S. to join with Isaac Ward and her brother Isaac in publishing and editing the Provincial Freeman, one of the two black newspapers published in Ontario from 1853-1857. Mary Ann Shadd is acknowledged as the first black newspaperwoman and the first woman publisher of a newspaper in Canada.
WILLIAM HALL
William Hall of Nova Scotia became the first Canadian Sailor and the first person of African descent to receive the Victoria Cross for bravery and distinguished service.
DR. ANDERSON RUFFIN
Infographics (a clipped compound of “information” and “graphics”) are graphic visual representations of info.
DELOS ROGET DAVIS
Delos Roget Davis of Amherstburg, Ontario became one of Ontario’s first black lawyers. He was appointed King’s Council in 1910.
PAUL BARBER
Paul Barber arrives in Ottawa. Paul Barber, his wife Elizabeth lived in Ottawa’s Lowertown with their five children as one of the first interracial families.
WILLIAM PEYTON HUBBARD
William Peyton Hubbard became the first black council member elected to Toronto City Council, and was re-elected council member for 13 successive elections. He served on the Board of Control, and as acting Mayor on a number of occasions.
COLOURED HOCKEY LEAGUE OF THE MARITIMES
The Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes (CHLM) was inaugurated in 1895.
THE BLACK TREK
The beginning of the Black Trek, the migration of dissatisfied African-Americans from Oklahoma to the Canadian prairies. That year, a group led by W.E.B. DuBois and Monroe Trotter met secretly in Niagara, Ontario, to organize resistance to U.S. racism.
NOVA SCOTIA NO. 2 CONSTRUCTION BATTALION
During the First World War, black Canadians joined combat units, despite opposition, and in 1916, a segregated unit, the Nova Scotia Number 2 Construction Battalion, was formed.
VIOLA DESMOND
Viola Desmond challenged racial discrimination when she refused to leave the segregated Whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Viola Desmond was arrested, jailed overnight and convicted without legal representation for an obscure tax offence as a result.
THE CLARION
Born in Nova Scotia, Carrie Best co-founded the first newspaper to be owned and published by Black Nova Scotians in 1946. It was known as The Clarion.
RUTH BAILEY & GWENNYTH BARTON
Ruth Bailey and Gwennyth Barton became the first blacks to graduate from a Canadian School of Nursing.
DISCRIMINATORY LABOUR LAWS
New laws make it illegal to refuse to let people work, to receive service in stores or restaurants or to move into a home because of race.
REVEREND ADDIE AYLESTOCK
The Reverend Addie Aylestock became the first black woman to be ordained a minister in Canada. The following year, Wilson Brooks, an RCAF Veteran, became Toronto’s first black public school teacher.
THE FIGHT AGAINST IMMIGRATION POLICIES
Donald W Moore led a coalition to Ottawa to protest exclusionary and discriminatory immigration policies that denied the legal entry of Black West Indians into Canada.
WEST INDIAN DOMESTICS SCHEME
The Canadian government established the West Indian Domestics Scheme to recruit female domestics of African Descent. Most applicants came from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and British Guiana.
MYRTHA LAPIERRE
Myrtha Lapierre arrives in Canada. She holds a degree in Nursing (1959), a bachelor’s degree in Nursing (1961) and a Master’s degree in Education (Psychopedagogy, 1975), all three from the University of Ottawa.
BROWNS CLEANERS & TAILORS
Browns’ Cleaners and Tailors was founded on Murray Street by Pops and Estelle Brown.
CAL BEST
Cal Best was elected President of the Civil Service Association of Canada. He remained president of the CSAC until 1966. He is seen as one of the founders of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
WILLIE O'REE
Willie O’Ree broke the colour barrier and became the first Black hockey player to join the National Hockey League playing for the Boston Bruins in the Montreal Forum.
STANLEY GRIZZLE
Stanley Grizzle was the first black person to run for a seat in the Ontario Legislature.
ONTARIO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Daniel G. Hill, an American-born black activist and writer who moved to Canada in 1950, was made the first director of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the first government agency in Canada set up to protect citizens from discrimination. Hill later became chair of the Commission.
LEONARD BRAITHWAITE
Leonard Braithwaite, elected to the Ontario
legislature, was the first black to serve in a provincial legislature in Canada.
SAINT-FIRMIN MONESTIME
Saint-Firmin Monestime becomes the first elected Black mayor in Canada (Mattawa, Ontario).
LINCOLN ALEXANDER
Canada saw the election of its first black Member of Parliament – The Honourable Lincoln Alexander, of Hamilton. In 1979, he became Canada’s first black cabinet minister, as Minister of Labour in the federal government. In 1985, he became Ontario’s first black Lieutenant Governor, and the first black to be appointed to a vice-regal position in Canada
BLACK HISTORY WEEK
The first Black History Week was celebrated.
MAURICE ALEXANDER CHARLES
Maurice Alexander Charles became the first black provincial judge of Ontario.
STEPHEN BLIZZARD
Born in Jamaica, Blizzard was one of the first Black medical professions to also be a part of the Canadian military. He worked as a flight and base surgeon while also being a military jet pilot.
HUBERT WAUGH
The first Black Police Officer in Ottawa was Hubert Waugh who was appointed in 1970.
ROSEMARY BROWN
First black woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada.
ONTARIO BLACK HISTORY SOCIETY
The Ontario Black History Society is founded by Dr. Daniel Hill, Wilson Brooks and Lorraine Hubbard. The Society is dedicated to the acknowledgement and preservation of the contributions to Canada’s development by Canadian blacks.
ANN COOLS
Ann Cools was appointed to the Senate of Canada, becoming the first Black person in the Canadian senate.
LINCOLNVILLE SCHOOL CLOSES
The Lincolnville School, one of the last segregated schools in Nova Scotia closes.
JULIUS ALEXANDER ISAAC, CHIEF JUSTICE OF CANADA
Julius Alexander Isaac, a native of Grenada, was named Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada. He becomes the first black Chief Justice in Canada and the first to serve on the Federal Court.
WEST INDIAN TRANSIT CLUB INC.
The West Indian Transit Club Inc. was founded by West Indian employees of O.C. Transpo.
BLACK HISTORY OTTAWA
The Black History Ottawa corporation was founded and established in 1986.
JEAN AUGUSTINE SWORN IN
Jean Augustine was sworn in as Canada’s first black female Member of Parliament.
ISOBEL GRANGER, OTTAWA POLICE OFFICER
Isobel Granger became the 1st black female police officer in Ottawa in 1994.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH INSTITUTED
Jean Augustine introduced the motion in the House of Commons which led to the Canadian Government officially instituting a national observance of Black History Month.
BLACK OLYMPIANS
Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin and Donovan Bailey won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
MICHAËLLE JEAN, GOVERNOR GENERAL
On September 27, Michaëlle Jean became Canada’s first black governor general and only the third woman. to be appointed to that position.
DEDICATION OF GUS ESTE PARK
Dedication of Gus Este Park. Gus Este joined the Canadian Army Special Force for the United Nations operations in Korea, in 1950. He served 13 months in Korea as a medic.
NELSON MANDELA SQUARE
Nelson Mandela Square was constructed in Ottawa’s downtown in 2014.
RAWLSON KING, CITY COUNCILLOR
Rawlson King is Ottawa’s first Black City Councillor who represents Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward.
LINCOLN ALEXANDER DAY
January 21, Lincoln’s Alexander’s birthday, is now recognized officially as Lincoln Alexander Day across Canada. Alexander was Canada’s first Black Member of Parliament and the first Black man to become the lieutenant-governor of Ontario.
EMANCIPATION DAY
On March 24, 2021, the House of Commons voted unanimously to officially designate August 1 Emancipation Day. It marks the actual day in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire.
GREG FERGUS, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Greg Fergus, MP of Hull-Aylmer since 2015, became the first Black Speaker of the House in 2023.