The Black community in Canada: past and present

[Docere]

Black population of Canada prior to the 1960s. It was a pretty consistent 20,000 or so until the 1950s.

1871

Total Black population: 21,474

Ontario 13,435
Nova Scotia 6,212
New Brunswick 1,680
Quebec 147

1901

Total Black population: 17,434

Ontario 8,935
Nova Scotia 5,984
New Brunswick 1,368
Quebec 280
B.C. 532
P.E.I. 141
Manitoba 61

1931

Total Black population: 19,456

Nova Scotia 7,361
Ontario 6,886
Quebec 1,649
New Brunswick 1,150
Alberta 924
B.C. 533
Manitoba 465
Saskatchewan 410
P.E.I. 70

1961

Total Black population: 32,127

Nova Scotia 11,900
Ontario 11,062
Quebec 4,287
Alberta 1,307
New Brunswick 1,273
B.C. 1,012
Manitoba 920
Saskatchewan 285
P.E.I. 48
Newfoundland 19

[Luisito]

Good idea to start this thread. Thanks for sharing those numbers.

It's interesting the Black population of NS actually shrank from 1871 to 1907.

I am curious if most of the Black folks in New Brunswick were historically centred in st john? Or were there other pockets of Black communities scattered throughout the province?

[Docere]

Black population in cities (500 or more) 1931

Toronto 1,344 0.3%
Montreal 1,202 0.2%
Windsor 969 1.5%
Halifax 784 1.3%
Saint John 527 1.1%
Sydney 523 2.3%

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Luisito

It's interesting the Black population of NS actually shrank from 1871 to 1907.

As did NB & Ontario (and the country overall). Many returned home to the US post-Civil War; and to a lesser extent there was some westward movement as BC & the Prairies opened up.

But also, who knows how accurate these old censuses actually were at recording stuff like this.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

As did NB & Ontario (and the country overall). Many returned home to the US post-Civil War; and to a lesser extent there was some westward movement as BC & the Prairies opened up.

But also, who knows how accurate these old censuses actually were at recording stuff like this.

It's imperfect data. Between 1951 and 1961, the recorded Black population doubled. It doubled in Ontario and was up 50% in Nova Scotia. This was before the opening of immigration in the 1960s, so most of it I think was just more awareness in the civil rights era.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by Docere

It's imperfect data. Between 1951 and 1961, the recorded Black population doubled. It doubled in Ontario and was up 50% in Nova Scotia. This was before the opening of immigration in the 1960s, so most of it I think was just more awareness in the civil rights era.

There was certainly immigration in the 1950s. The numbers started so low that even small amounts would move the numbers. I know there was some post war movement from the US for example.

Outside of Nova Scotia the black population was rounding error and puts in perspective the so called overlooking their history. There are probably 200 ethnic groups with higher populations in 1951 Ontario.

[Docere]

Here's all the counties in Canada in 1931 that were at least 1% Black (mostly in Nova Scotia).

Digby NS 646 3.5%
Annapolis NS 449 3.1%
Guysborough NS 471 3%
Shelburne NS 344 2.8%
Kent ON 1,699 2.7%
Colchester NS 568 2.3%
Halifax NS 2,341 2.3%
Yarmouth NS 347 1.7%
Hants NS 312 1.6%
Saint John NB 853 1.4%
Pictou NS 449 1.2%
Cumberland NS 369 1%
Essex ON 1,653 1%

[flar]

There was a settlement around North Buxton, Ontario. Some of the people returned to the US after the Civil War, and some remained in the community of North Buxton. Many of their descendants still live in Chatham area. Uncle Tom's Cabin is also located nearby in Dresden.

[Docere]

An NFB documentary about Dresden, Ontario:

https://www.nfb.ca/film/dresden_story/

[Docere]

1961 Census:

Black Nova Scotians:

Halifax County 5,905
Rest of NS 5,995

Black Ontarians:

Metropolitan Toronto 4,172
Essex and Kent counties 4,030

[Docere]

Black population by city, 1961:

Toronto 3,153 0.5%
Montreal 2,965 0.2%
Halifax 2,038 2.2%
Windsor 1,560 1.4%
Sydney 705 2.1%
Winnipeg 661 0.2%
Chatham 589 2%
Vancouver 572 0.1%
Saint John 554 1%

[SignalHillHiker]

I attended a Black History Month celebration at my place of work today. It was interesting - they profiled a few black Canadians and their contributions, had a dance (Simi and Hendrix were the big hits), etc.

I'd be curious to see the K-12 curriculum here today because there was little if anything related to black history when I was in school, but today kids learn that there were black people here, we built a few slave ships, etc.

Our main cultural connection with black people here is to Jamaica. Newfoundland Screech is just their rum, and a lot of their traditional cuisine is based on our salt cod. That was our centuries-long trading relationship.

Today we still have a small but growing black community in St. John's, primarily of Nigerian background but there are dozens of others. I still wouldn't want to have to find someone to give me a silk press here, but there is a black barbershop, etc., now and it's getting more common to see Jamaican products alongside the Asian ones in the international aisles of grocery stores (which as recently as a few years ago were, hilariously, half just products from the United Kingdom).

[flar]

Originally Posted by Docere

An NFB documentary about Dresden, Ontario:

https://www.nfb.ca/film/dresden_story/

Fascinating, to me at least, because I know the town of Dresden so well. I love how calm and composed everyone is.

The video made me think of something I read when I was a kid. It concerns the black community in Dresden and baseball fights versus Wallaceburg in the late 1800s. The story is on page 60 of "A History of Wallaceburg and Vicinity"

http://images.ourontario.ca/Partners...027462931T.PDF

[Docere]

Also of interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFIqUJlk88o

[Docere]

Third generation or more, 2021 Census

Canada 132,770 8.5%

Ontario 70,350 9%
Quebec 21,475 5%
Nova Scotia 16,790 59%
Alberta 9,325 5%
BC 7,590 12%
New Brunswick 2,720 22%
Manitoba 2,575 5.5%
Saskatchewan 1,095 5%
Newfoundland 400 11%
PEI 245 13%

[urbandreamer]

I've stopped to explore a few historic black communities/graveyards around Ontario, I believe in Port Ryerse there's some graves. Hawkesville in the Queen's Bush was an early black farming community, which ended in eviction as the land was sold to the German company from Pennsylvania, aka Mennonites. I came across another one in Huron or Bruce County iirc.

Year's ago I worked at a large bakery in Toronto that was evenly split between Portuguese and Jamaican workers. The only other white person was an Italian guy, convinced I had to be Italian because no English had worked there in 50 years. Anyway, one Jamaican woman said I was taking over their culture because I was drinking Horlicks, unaware it was an English/American invention.

[Docere]

Caribbean origin

Canada 548,060 35%

Ontario 310,820 40%
Quebec 184,755 44%
Alberta 22,945 13%
BC 13,475 22%
Manitoba 6,715 14%
Nova Scotia 3,730 13%
Saskatchewan 2,510 11%
New Brunswick 1,755 14%
PEI 530 29%
Newfoundland 470 13%


African origin*

Canada 603,910 39%

Ontario 250,735 33%
Quebec 153,295 36%
Alberta 113,350 64%
Manitoba 29,360 63%
BC 27,590 45%
Saskatchewan 14,885 66%
New Brunswick 5,590 46%
Nova Scotia 5,315 19%
Newfoundland 2,090 58%
PEI 595 33%

* excluding African, nos

[urbandreamer]

Black Africans can be very racist towards African Americans and Caribbeans I've noticed.

[Luisito]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Black Africans can be very racist towards African Americans and Caribbeans I've noticed.

The opposite can also be true. They can all be very bigoted towards each other.

[Docere]

North Preston remains well intact. The dissemination area that includes North Preston (population 672) is 78% Black and 76% Baptist by religion.