Canada's hidden history of oppression and justice

As Canada prepares to mark the 191st anniversary of slavery’s abolition this August, new research and ongoing land disputes highlight how historical injustices continue to shape the nation’s social and political landscape.

Canada’s slavery legacy comes into sharper focus

Recent excavations in Quebec City have uncovered artifacts linked to enslaved households, coinciding with the release of digitized slave registry records by Library and Archives Canada. These findings confirm:


Over 4,200 documented cases of enslaved individuals in New France and British North America



Slave auctions conducted in Montreal until 1797



Continued indentured servitude of Black Canadians post-1834



“These records prove slavery was integral to Canada’s early economy,” says Dr. Natasha Henry, president of the Canadian Slavery Institute. The federal government has pledged $2.3 million to expand the Africville Museum in Halifax, where archaeological work continues at the demolished community site.

Indigenous land rights at crossroads

2025 has seen heightened tensions over resource projects:

1. Coastal GasLink Pipeline
   
   
   
• Wet’suwet’en land defenders continue court battles despite BC Supreme Court injunctions
  
  
  
• New RCMP enforcement actions reported last month
  
  
  
2. Ring of Fire Mining Project
   
   
   
• Ontario Superior Court recently upheld First Nations’ right to veto development
  
  
  
• Federal impact assessment ongoing
  
  
  
3. Clean Water Crisis
   
   
   
• 27 long-term drinking water advisories remain on reserves
  
  
  
• $4.9 billion allocated in Budget 2025 for infrastructure
  
  
  

Policy developments

Key 2025 milestones include:

• Implementation of UNDRIP Action Plan Phase 2
  
  
  
• Launch of Black Canadians Justice Fund ($860 million over 4 years)
  
  
  
• Senate debates on Bill S-255 (Slavery History Education Act)
  
  
  

“Reconciliation requires confronting hard truths,” notes Justice Minister Arif Virani. “Our 2025 initiatives aim to address both historical and contemporary inequities.”