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May is Asian Heritage Month

The month of May, in Canada, celebrates the achievements and heritage of Asian Canadians. In many ways, Asian Canadians faced an uphill battle from the moment they arrived in a younger Canada. So fervent was racism directed at immigrants from China, that even the labour movement fell prey to the vitriol.

Confederation was built on the back of railroads. It’s an idea first floated by Thomas Keefer, an engineer, author and businessman who called trains “the iron civilizer”.

“The young men and maidens, the old men and the matrons, daily collect around the cars: they wonder where so many well-dressed and rich-looking people come from and are going to, etc. – what queer machines those are which they see passing backwards and forwards.”1

The railroad and those “queer machines” created a stronger economy. Suddenly, there were stronger ties between very different people from very different geographical areas who found themselves a part of a greater “Canadian” society.

But all that came at a cost. More than 600 Chinese labourers lost their lives while working on the B.C. stretch of the Canadian Pacific Railway.2 It’s a sad part of our history that many Canadians only learned about thanks to CBC’s heritage project.

But the untold story was the fervent prejudice that Chinese immigrants had to deal with, at the hands of the public, the government and even one major labour union.

By 1911, close to ten percent of British Columbians were Chinese.3 The Chinese population was faced with countless stereotypes; the men were associated with opium, gambling and uncleanliness – women were regarded as prostitutes. Even if whites lived side by side with Asian immigrants, they really didn’t have a deep knowledge of their new neighbours; “they screened out many of the immigrants’ characteristics and magnified a few others,” contends Historian Peter Ward, at the University of British Columbia.4

But, overall, the Chinese were unpopular because they were seen as unfair competition for low-paying jobs.

Enter the Knights of Labor; a progressive labour reform organization that believed in organizing all workers, regardless of “skill, sex or race”.5 When an economic depression hit in the mid 1880s, the Knights began to argue against Chinese immigration. During an 1885 Royal Commission, the Knights of Labor officially objected to Chinese labour, arguing that they were poised to become “dangerous competitors in the labour market.”6

The government reacted by attempting to restrict immigration by imposing a head tax on all Chinese immigrants. It started out, in 1885, at $50, but quickly rose to $500 by 1903.7

“The head tax succeeded in reducing overall Chinese immigration, particularly female immigrants, since many married men could not afford to bring their wives, and few single men could pay the tax for single women who might become their wives.”8

While the Japanese escaped the head tax (because Japan was one of Britain’s military allies), Canada nonetheless restricted the number of Japanese immigrants to 400 a year.9

There was a clear difference between Chinese and Japanese immigrants at the time; the Chinese were resented by unskilled labourers because they were in direct competition for low-paying jobs. On the other hand, the Japanese, who were typically educated and rich, were resented by the elites, with whom they competed.

In 1923, the government enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned most Chinese immigrants. And while Canada’s postwar immigration policy finally did away with the Act, severe restrictions on Asian immigration continued to exist.10

In 2006, the Government of Canada officially apologized for the Chinese Head Tax. As part of the apology, surviving head-tax payers or their surviving spouses were to receive a $20,000 payment.11

The Head Tax Families Society of Canada contends that Stephen Harper’s government has excluded thousands of head tax families seeking reparations, since only one percent of head tax families qualify for the payment.12

They continue to seek a fair settlement.

[1] Keefer, Thomas, C. (1853) Philosophy of Railroads. Montreal.

[2] Chan, Anthony B. Chinese, The Canadian Encyclopedia.

[3] Francis, R. D., Jones, R., & Smith, D. (2008). Destinies: Canadian history since confederation. (6 ed.). University of Calgary: Nelson Education Ltd.

[4] Ward, Peter. (2002) White Canada Forever: Popular Attitudes and Public Policy Towards Orientals. Quebec: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

[5] Kealy, G.S., Knights of Labour, Canadian Encyclopedia.

[6] Creese, Gillian (1988) Workers, Capital and the State in British Columbia: Selected Papers. Warburton, R. and Coburn, D. (ed.) British Columbia: University of British Columbia Press.

[7] Francis, R. D., Jones, R., & Smith, D. (2008). Destinies: Canadian history since confederation. (6 ed.). University of Calgary: Nelson Education Ltd.

[8] Idem

[9] Idem

[10] Idem

[11] Munrow, Susan. (2006) Canada Gives Formal Apology for Chinese Head Tax

[12] Head Tax Families Society of Canada

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Earth Day – April 22

Spring has finally arrived and with it, the chance to once again witness nature at its best: sprouting! What better time to celebrate our planet and reflect on the many ways we can better the environment. This Earth Day, take the time to rethink old habits and take action! The following helpful hints can get you started:

Give up your love-affair with the printer
Not everything needs to be printed! The first step towards doing away with piles of paper on your desk is to adapt an organized and intuitive way of filing your electronic documents. Also, check your printer settings. Is your printer set to print double-sided by default? This alone could cut your paper consumption in half!

Think green… procurement!
Are you in charge of ordering supplies and printed documents? Choose products that come with minimal packaging. Ask your supplier about products made from recycled materials. When ordering printed material, opt for paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council; they are a widely respected non-profit organization that certifies certain types of paper as being both environmentally and socially responsible choices. They also play an important role in protecting old growth forests.

Rethink your lunchbox
Waste reduction can start in the very lunchbox you bring to work. Bring beverages from home in a reusable stainless steel bottle instead of purchasing plastic water bottles or juice boxes. Bring cutlery from home instead of using disposable plastic cutlery from the cafeteria. Get inspired by the University of Victoria who banned plastic cutlery in an effort to reach zero waste; they now provide biodegradable cutlery made from bamboo! Finally, give up the ready-made meals from your store’s freezer section; a homemade meal in a reusable plastic container will have less of an impact on the environment and will, most likely, taste much better too!

Go vegetarian once a week!
You may have heard Dr. David Suzuki mention this concept before. Meat-production has a very serious impact on the environment. A United Nations report from 2006 found that raising livestock creates more carbon emissions than the world’s transportation put together1. In fact, the meat industry accounts for 18 per cent of global emissions.2 Try going vegetarian or vegan once per week – get your family and coworkers involved! You’ll reduce your carbon footprint dramatically and feel healthier. Who knows, you may even discover a new favourite recipe!

There are many ways to reduce our impact on the environment. This Earth Day, take a moment to reflect on a few ways you can do your part. For more information on earth day events across Canada and ways to take action, please visit the Earth Day Canada Web site: http://www.earthday.ca

[1] Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars, UN report warns. (2006) UN News Centre.

[2] Livestock’s Long Shadow (2006). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

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Human Rights Award

The Union of National Employees is strongly committed to the promotion of human rights. While all unions have a rich history of advocating for human rights, our members are especially proud of this cause.

The award is meant to recognize a member’s exceptional work promoting human rights. The Union of National Employees is looking for nominations – the due date is August 1. More information is available here.

The last member to receive the award was Cheryl Aucoin, in 2007.

Aucoin remembers her work trying to get people with disabilities, as well as gays and lesbians recognized as equity-seeking groups within the PSAC.

“It was a struggle at the very beginning,” said Aucoin. “They certainly weren’t jumping up and down for people who were gay and lesbian.”

Aucoin says it was easier for her to advocate on behalf of her gay brothers and lesbian sisters because she was straight.

“I was very happy to take some of that stuff on,” said Aucoin, quite proudly. “I was safe as a church! But for some other folks, that wasn’t the case at all. For some, it was really quite painful.”

The PSAC finally adopted a policy against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in 1994. According to Aucoin, it was in large part due to the progressive leadership in our union.

“I think of all the components, we were the forerunner,” said Aucoin.

“In retrospect, it was probably some of the best times of my life.”

For those of you who may recognize Cheryl Aucoin’s name, she says hello! She says that while she is indeed retired, she still keeps in contact with all the PSAC members in Sydney, Nova Scotia. She still gets invited to local union events – and goes!

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"Too ethnic"!?

Imagine finding out that your resume ended up in the recycle bin because your name sounded “too ethnic”. It’s the kind of blatant discrimination you’d hope wouldn’t happen in this day and age, but according to one study, this sort of thing happens all too often.

In 2009, University of Toronto Professor Philip Oreopoulos conducted a study in which 6000 mock resumes were sent to recruiters in Toronto. In each resume, the level of education and experience was comparable; the only striking difference was that some applicants’ names were English-sounding while others sounded more Indian, Pakistani or Chinese. A further chunk of resumes featured experience and education acquired outside Canada.1

An applicant with an English-sounding name who was educated in Canada had a 16% chance of getting called for an interview; an equally-qualified applicant with a more ethnic-sounding name and whose experience and education was acquired outside Canada only received a call 5% of the time.2

When only the applicants’ names were in play, “Alison Johnson” was still 40% more likely to get a call than “Tao Wang”.3

The study points to name-based discrimination being a key factor that could explain why immigrants often struggle in the Canadian job market despite their qualifications.

Oreopoulos conducted a similar study again in 2010, this time expanding the research to include Vancouver and Montreal. When the researchers later interviewed recruiters, they discovered that snap decisions are frequently being made; they end up assuming that a foreign name is synonymous with language difficulties or a lack of critical social skills, despite the resume suggesting otherwise. In other words, it’s a form of subconscious discrimination.4

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racism. We thought we’d share this study with our members as a reminder that racism can take many forms.

We mustn’t forget that affirmative action programs are currently on the chopping block. These programs aim to reverse the pattern of earlier discrimination by giving priority to individuals who are socially disadvantaged.

Affirmative action is often a contentious issue. Conservatives such as Stockwell Day and Jason Kenney, for example, are of the opinion that merit alone should be considered when hiring public servants.5 But that approach fails to take into account institutional racism.

If “Tao Wang” is passed over for a job early in his working life because of his name alone, then isn’t he starting the race a few seconds after everyone else?

[1] Oreopoulos, P. (2009) Why Do Skilled Immigrants Struggle In The Labor Market? A Field Experiment With Six Thousand Resumes. National Bureau of Economic Research.

[2] Idem

[3] Idem

[4] Oreopoulos, P., Dechief, D. (2012) Why Do Some Employers Prefer to Interview Matthew, but Not Samir? New Evidence from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Canadian Labour Market and Skills Researcher Network.

[5] Rennie, Steve. (2010) Ottawa orders affirmative-action overhaul. Ottawa Citizen.

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Francophonie Day

Today is the Francophonie Day. Across the globe, more than 220 million men and women speak French; that’s one person out of 32! 1

In Canada, we often think of French being spoken primarily in one ‘belle province’; but there are actually close to 10 million Canadians who speak French.2 In fact, outside Quebec, more and more people are reporting French as their mother tongue. As of 2011, 4.3% of Canadians outside Quebec report speaking French at home; more than 10% report being able to conduct a conversation in French.3

Earlier this month, the Franco-Albertan flag was raised by francophones across Alberta. The Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta has been organizing many activities to celebrate the French language, such excursions to sugar shacks, theatre shows and presentations.

“It’s so vibrant here and we’re one of the few provinces where the French population only keeps growing,” says Isabelle Laurin, director of public affairs for the Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta.

“The francophone population that’s been here for many generations is very engaged,” she said. “Some of the challenges we have is getting new Franco-Albertans to recognize that there is a francophone community here .”

Each year, on March 20, the association holds a kiosk at Canada Place in Edmonton to encourage public servants to find out more about the francophone community in the province.

Meanwhile, in Quebec, there really is a continued struggle for linguistic equality rights. Yvon Beaudoin, a UNE Assistant Regional Vice-President for Quebec, recently attended the annual meeting of members of francization committees in Montreal. These committees are required by law; they aim to promote the French language within workplaces employing 50 or more individuals.

Beaudoin said francophones often have to fight to be able to work in the language of their choice. Sometimes, even access to French computer software can be a problem.

“We know it’s much cheaper to buy software in English[BR4] ,” said Beaudoin. “When we want the software in French, it’s always a bit late – it’s not always available. And it’s much more expensive.”

Beaudoin said that businesses in Quebec can obtain financial support from the provincial government to help them offset the cost of French-language software.

Another growing concern in Quebec revolves around the impact of globalization. As Quebec companies are bought out by larger American ones, francophones increasingly see the English language take centre stage.

Beaudoin is also a member of the UNE’s francophone committee. He says he’s seen a dramatic improvement in the quality of the French both during events and on the union’s website.

[1] Press release, Organisation international de la francophonie, 2013.

[2] French and the francophonie in Canada, Statistics Canada, 2011.

[3] Number of people and proportion of the population reporting French by selected language characteristic, Canada outside Quebec, 2006 and 2011, Statistics Canada, 2011

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International Women's Day

Today is international women’s day. It’s a chance to reflect on the road traveled and the long road still ahead. As of 2012, Canada ranks 21st on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report; a yearly study on gender equality among 135 countries.1

That said, we were three points higher in 2011. According to the World Economic Forum, Canada fell three spots because of “a small decrease in the secondary education ratio and in the percentage of women in ministerial positions.”2

In fact, Canada has suffered a steady decline since 2006, due primarily to the absence of women in politics.

While Canada has legislation in place to prevent workplace discrimination based on gender, it’s a little harder to do that in the political arena… or is it?

Many countries have passed quota legislation to make sure women were well represented in office. Costa Rica is an excellent example:

“The first quota legislation in 1994 basically relied on Costa Rica’s political parties to voluntarily increase the participation of women in elections. A second set of laws in 1998 mandated that women occupy at least 40 percent of each party’s candidate list, and in the 2002 election the law required that women be in at least 40 percent of the electable positions.”3

According to Texas’ Rice University, the number of women occupying positions within municipal legislatures in 2002 “was unmatched by any other democratically elected national legislature in the world”.

Costa Rica is currently one of the very few countries headed by a democratically elected woman – there are currently only 17.

Heather Sams, the Union’s National Equity Representative for Women, says that women in Canada are still a long way from reaching parity with men in politics.

“Think about it, last election Canadians sent a record number of women to the House of Commons,” said Sams. “That number was 76 – most of them were NDP… but that’s still just barely 25% of the seats in the House.”

And while women continue to be underrepresented in Canadian politics, there are still other battles that need our attention, especially in the workplace.

Sams says that the income gap between men and women continues to be a real problem in Canada.

“As unionized women, we’re almost there – but non-unionized women are still fighting a tough battle,” said Sams.

According to the Canadian Labour Congress, unionized women earn 93% as much as their unionized male counterparts, while non-unionize women only earn 75% as much as non-unionized men. In the private sector, the unionisation rate among women is also lower than that of men.4

“Basically, we’re still a long way from equality in the workforce,” concluded Sams.

[1] Hausmann, R., Tyson, L. & Zahidi, S. (2012). The Global Gender Gap Report, World Economic Forum.

[2] Idem

[3] Sherindan, P. (2005). To elect more women, countries should follow Costa Rica, Rice University News and Media.

[4] Still A Long Way From Equality. (2008). Canadian Labour Congress.

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Pink Shirt Day

Wear a pink shirt on Wednesday, February 27 for the sixth annual Pink Shirt Day. By wearing a pink shirt, you’re saying that bullying won’t be tolerated.

Pink Shirt Day honours the actions of two brave boys from Nova Scotia who took a stand when they saw a Grade 9 boy being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. The next day, David Shepherd and Travis Price got 50 of their fellow students to wear pink shirts.

Sexual minorities and those who are perceived as gender-nonconforming are often the targets of bullying. Almost half of Canadians students report hearing anti-gay epithets at school – almost 10% of LGBT students report hearing frequent homophobic comments from teachers.

74% of trans students, 55% of sexual minority students, and 26% of non-LGBTQ students reported having been verbally harassed about their gender expression.

More than one in five (21%) LGBTQ students reported being physically harassed or assaulted due to their sexual orientation.1

Many schools are actively trying to eliminate bullying, and rightly so. However homophobic bullying is often ignored. According to Gerald Walton, doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, the education system reinforces the idea that “straightness” is “normal”.

Heterosexuality in schools is validated through pervasive discourse on teenage other-sex dating; straight sexual mechanics and pregnancy in sex education classes; straight territorialisation (such as high school dances and prom nights); and mass media images, textbook representations, and fictional stories exclusively about and featuring heterosexual relationships.2

Consider that in the US, gay and lesbian teachers are often fired simply because of their sexual orientation. In 2010, an Oregon teacher was fired for mentioning to a fourth-grader that he wasn’t married because he couldn’t legally marry a man. The school principal told the teacher that his comments regarding his marital status were “inappropriate”.3

Last year, a St. Louis music teacher was fired after marrying his long-time partner. The Catholic School said it couldn’t condone acts that were “contrary to the church”.4

And earlier this month, a Catholic school administrator was fired for supporting marriage equality – despite being a heterosexual man who is married to a woman.5

Katherine van Wormer of the Department of Social Work at the University of Northern Iowa contends that, instead of firing openly gay and lesbian teachers, schools should be hiring them to serve as positive role models.6

“Unfortunately, in the U.S. and Canada, school social work tends to be crisis-driven rather than prevention-driven (Loughborough, 2000). This needs to change. School bullying, which takes a tragic toll on gender-nonconforming youth, can and must be stopped through effective adult intervention.”7

[1] Egale Canada, National Climate Survey on Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia in Canadian Schools.[2] Walton, G., (2004) Bullying and Homophobia in Canadian Schools: The Politics of Policies, Programs and Educational Leadership. The Haworth Press.

[3] Mirk, S. (September 30, 2010) Beaverton Student Teacher Says He Was Fired for Mentioning in Class That He Would “Choose to Marry a Man”. The Portland Mercury.

[4] Browning, W. (March 1, 2012) Gay Teacher Fired for Getting Married. Yahoo! News.

[5] Newcomb, A. (February 12, 2013) Catholic School Worker Fired for Supporting Gay Marriage. Good Morning America.

[6] van Wormer, K. & McKinney, R. (2003) What Schools Can Do to Help Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Youth: A Harm Reduction Approach. 

[7] Idem

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World Day of Social Justice

In 1912, Helen Keller sent a cheque to support the striking textile workers in Little Falls, New York. In the accompanying letter, Keller concluded:  “Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice cannot be attained.”1

Unions have long advocated for social justice. At the PSAC, the Social Justice Fund has worked to “advance the role of our members in building stronger communities, a better country and a more just and humane world.2

According to Louise Casselman, the PSAC Social Justice Fund Officer, the fund helps address inequities both at home and abroad.

“Unions are not just about putting bread on the table – that’s obviously an important aspect – but it’s also about reaching out and being active in the society we live in,” said Casselman.

About half of the fund helps support programs in Canada.

“We have a literacy program that we support, for example, in Nunavut, in the Prairies and  Atlantic regions and, right now, we’re supporting literacy programs for injured workers in Ontario and also immigrant workers in the area of Montreal.”

Literacy skills are especially important in our modern economy. The 2005 International Study of Reading Skills revealed that a great proportion of Canadians scoring lowest on literacy were immigrants or individuals who grew up with a mother tongue other than English or French.3

The majority of Canadians struggling with literacy report earning less than $25,000 a year.4

The fund also supports after-school programs for at-risk-youth and shelters for victims of domestic violence. The union is also teaming up with Canada Without Poverty to fight for decent public housing.

“We’re all working together to improve the lives of those people who are more marginalized in our society,” said Casselman.

She adds that many of our members are involved in these programs at the grassroots.

“It’s hard,” admits Casselman. “Union members work all day long, and then volunteer at night for their Local, Area Council or Human Rights Committee – it’s all volunteer time – and then they’re involved in the community. It’s a lot on their back.”

“It’s really important to bring attention to all this work, so we want to recognize all those champions of social justice that we have in our union.”

[1] Helen Keller, and Davis John. Helen Keller: Rebel Lives. Saint Paul, MN: Consortium Book Sales and Distribution, 2003. Print.

[2] PSAC Social Justice Fund Mission Statement

[3] The Daily, January 9, 2008, Stats Canada

[4] Idem

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Death leaves a heartache

“Death leaves a heartache.”

Those were the words on a card that Jennifer Chieh Ho, the UNE’s Regional Vice-President for B.C. and Yukon, received during last week’s Memorial March.

While countless Canadians were putting final touches on their Valentine’s Day plans, many others took to the streets to honour our country’s missing and murdered women. The first Memorial March took place 22 years ago in Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

Over the past decade, these marches have started taking place in many cities across Canada.

Kristin Gilchrist, a co-founder of Families of Sisters in Spirit and a doctoral student at Carleton University’s department of sociology, says these marches have grown considerably thanks to the important work of countless grassroots organizations.

“They draw critical awareness to the violence happening in our communities, especially violence directed at Indigenous women,” wrote Gilchrist.

Chieh Ho and a few members of her Local attended this year’s march where it all started: in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. She said she was especially happy to see such a diverse group of allies demonstrating for this important cause.

“There were many aboriginal brothers and sisters, but there were also a very encouraging number of men and women of all nationalities, of all ages, who came to support,” she remarked.

“The march took us to a number of spots where women were found murdered or were last seen before they went missing,” said Chieh Ho. “We took a moment at each spot to honour each woman.”

Chieh Ho said that a rose was left to mark each spot: a red rose for women found murdered – a yellow rose for women who have gone missing.

“I was a bit shocked and saddened by the number of times we stopped,” she added.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada has a list of more than 500 confirmed cases of missing and murdered native women – and those are just the ones they can actually confirm.

Gilchrist says that Indigenous women face many barriers when it comes to being heard.

“Barriers are especially apparent when there’s a failure by allies to make connections between anti-violence, anti-colonialism, and settler responsibility,” wrote Gilchrist.

She says Indigenous women’s voices are often included only as an afterthought or silenced altogether. And it’s not at all uncommon for those running their own agenda to simply expect these women to go along with their plans.

“These things happen far too often,” she added.

The Harper government continues to brush off demands for a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

As Jennifer Lord of the Native Women’s Association of Canada told us last year: “This is what the families want.”

There are many photos of the march on Flickr.

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Black History Month – Viola Desmond

Last year, in honour of Black History Month, we shared with you the story of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, a pioneer of the equality rights movement in Canada. We did that primarily because Black history, especially Black women’s history, has largely been overlooked.

Dr. Audrey T. McCluskey, Professor of African-American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington, confirmed this sentiment when we corresponded with her last year.

“Black women’s history has been in the shadows for too long,” wrote Professor McCluskey. “So much more needs to be done to bring this history of struggle, courage, disappointment, and overcoming—continually overcoming—to a broader audience.”

So with those inspirational words in mind, we’d like to shine the spotlight on another brave Black woman. Her name was Viola Desmond – and in 1946, she caused quite a commotion.

Desmond was a Halifax-born Black woman who owned a hair salon. While on her way to Sydney on business, her car broke down in New Glasgow. After checking into a hotel, she decided to catch a movie. When she asked for a main-floor ticket, she was informed that she’d have to sit in the balcony (apparently, this was the theater’s version of making Blacks sit at the back of the bus).1

“But Viola Desmond recognized instantly that she was being denied seating on the basis of her race. She made a spontaneous decision to challenge this racial segregation, walked back inside and took a seat in the partially-filled downstairs portion of the theatre.”2

That’s when the manager was called… and then the police… until finally, Desmond was dragged out of the theater. Oh, and then they threw her in jail for twelve hours.3

Enter the Judge

The Crown attorney must have dug really deep in the law books because they decided to charge Desmond with defrauding the Nova Scotia government. Yep. Fraud!

When Desmond slipped a dollar for her main-floor ticket, 70 cents were returned to her and she was told to sit in the balcony. A main-floor ticket in the “whites only” section would have cost 40 cents, 4 cents of which were tax. The prosecution alleged that Desmond’s actions amounted to trying to defraud the government out of that extra 1 cent in tax.4

Desmond wasn’t informed of her rights and didn’t have an attorney with her the next morning when she entered the court room. She was fined $26.5

The Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People raised money to fight her conviction and her case made it all the way to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, justice didn’t prevail. Desmond lost her case on a technicality.

She may have lost her legal battle, but she lives on a part of our history that deserves be remembered. Our country is often remembered for being a haven for escaped Black slaves. For free Black men and women, it was a place that guaranteed their freedom while the Fugitive Slave Act in the U.S. had been putting their brothers and sisters back into slavery. That’s a part of our legacy that we can be proud of.

But we mustn’t deny the darker parts of our history. Segregation did exist on this side of the border.

Viola Desmond lives on because her story reminds us of the countless Black men and women who were victims of discrimination – and to this day, continue to fight ignorance and prejudice. She lives on because she was a strong, brave, progressive woman who took a stand – who refused to accept the status quo – who refused to be told that she was a second-class citizen.

Viola Desmond is a Canadian hero. Let’s honour her and countless others who fought in the name of equality.

Viola Desmond was post-humously pardoned in 2010.6

[1] Bingham, R., Viola Desmond, the Canadian Encyclopedia

[2] Backhouse, C., Racial Segregation in Canadian Legal History

[3] Bingham, R., Viola Desmond, the Canadian Encyclopedia

[4] Backhouse, C., Racial Segregation in Canadian Legal History

[5] Idem

[6] Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia