Emancipation Day commemorates the day on August 1, 1834, when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was enacted throughout the British Empire, including Canada. For millions of African people and their descendants in Canada and other countries, slavery was finally abolished on this day.
The Guelph Black Heritage Society held Emancipation Day Jamboree on Saturday, August 1, 2020. To commemorate the emancipation of slaves of African heritage, the GBHS observes Emancipation Day. We observe August 1st as Emancipation Day in Ontario, which was formally proclaimed in 2008, and use this occasion to remember the tragedies that came before us and to honor the bravery that allowed later generations to enjoy the freedom of which many others could only dream of.
