300
      in
      Lower
      Canada
      (Quebec).
     
    

    
     
      Black
      slaves
      were
      used
      to
      clear
      fields,
      chop
     
     
      wood,
      build
      ships,
      houses
      and
      buildings
      for
      the
     
     
      white
      settlers
      as
      well
      as
      being
      employed
      as
     
     
      domestic
      servants
      and
      agricultural
      workers.
     
    

    
     
      The
      institution
      of
      slavery
      was
      given
      legal
     
     
      recognition
      as
      early
      as
      1709
      and
      was
      incorpo-
     
     
      rated
      into
      the
      text
      of
      the
      Treaty
      of
      Paris,
      permit-
     
     
      ting
      the
      French
      to
      continue
      owning
      slaves
      in
     
     
      New
      France
      even
      after
      the
      area
      passed
      under
     
     
      British
      rule.
     
    

    
     
      Slavery
      was
      legally
      sanctioned
      in
      all
      of
     
     
      British
      North
      America
      (B.N.A.),
      including
      Nova
     
     
      Scotia.
      A:
      British
      imperial
      law
      introduced
      in
     
    

    
     
      ~
      1790
      acted
      to
      ‘‘encourage
      British
      immigrants
     
     
      to
      come
      to
      B.N.A.,
      the
      Bahama
      and
      Bermuda
     
     
      with
      their
      slaves
      and
      other
      property.’’
     
    

    
     
      Slaves
      were
      bought
      and
      sold
      in
      the
      markets
     
     
      and
      at
      auctions
      in
      Montreal,
      Halifax
      and
      other
     
     
      cities.
      Newspapers
      carried
      announcements
      of
     
     
      Blacks
      for
      sale.
      Such
      advertisements
      appeared
     
     
      as
      early
      as
      1749.
      The
      following
      was
      published
     
     
      in
      the
      Royal
      Gazette
      and
      Nova
      Scotia
      Adver-
     
     
      tiser
      of
      September
      7,
      1790:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Sales
      at
      Auction
      by
      William
      Millet,
      at
      his
     
     
      Auction-Room,
      on
      Thursday
      next,
      the
      9th
      Inst,
     
     
      at
      12
      o'clock.
      About
      Two
      Tons
      of
      Ship
      Bread,
      A
     
     
      Few
      Barrels
      of
      Pork,
      Indian
      and
      Rye
      Meal,
     
     
      Some
      Household
      Furniture,
      A
      Stout
      lively
     
     
      Negro
      Man
      and
      Sundry
      other
      Articles’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Clearly
      Blacks
      were
      seen
      as
      nothing
      more
     
     
      than
      chattels,
      workhorses.
     
    

    
     
      They
      were
      advertised
      as
      strong,
      hearty
      field
     
     
      hands
      or
      tradesmen
      such
      as
      carpenters,
     
     
      sailmakers
      and
      ropemakers.
     
    

    
     
      Though
      Canadian
      slavery
      did
      not
      expand
     
     
      and
      flourish
      to
      as
      great
      an
      extent
      as
      in
      the
      United
     
     
      States,
      it
      was
      no
      less
      harsh
      and
      brutal
      in
      its
     
     
      treatments
      of
      Africans
      and
      Amerindians.
      ‘‘Slav-
     
     
      ery
      in
      Canada
      had
      all
      the
      traits
      associated
      with
     
     
      the
      dehumanizing
      treatment
      meted
      out
      to
      hu-
     
     
      man
      beings
      in
      bondage.’’
     
    

    
     
      Instances
      of
      excessive
      violence
      and
      sadistic
     
     
      torture
      of
      slaves
      by
      Canadian
      masters
      have
      also
     
     
      been
      recorded.
      Canada
      and
      Its
      People
      of
      Afri-
     
     
      can
      Descent
      documents
      this:
     
    

    
     
      **A
      small
      child
      of
      Windsor,
      Nova
      Scotia,
     
     
      was
      instantly
      killed
      when
      his
      holder
      struck
      him
     
     
      in
      the
      head
      with
      a
      hammer.
      A
      slaveholder
      from
     
     
      Truro,
      Nova
      Scotia,
      in
      order
      to
      punish
      his
      slave
     
     
      who
      had
      tried
      to
      run
      away,
      made
      a
      hole
      through
     
     
      the
      lower
      lobe
      of
      the
      slave’s
      ear,
      passed
      the
      end
     
     
      of
      a
      whiplash
      through
      the
      hole,
      knotted
      it,
     
     
      jumped
      on
      his
      horse,
      dragged
      the
      victim
      who
     
     
      died
      shortly
      afterwards.’’
      ,
     
    

    
     
      Blacks
      repeatedly
      defied
      and
      resisted
      slav-
     
     
      ery,
      frequently
      by
      escaping
      their
      masters.
      This
     
     
      prompted
      the
      enactment
      of
      a
      Canadian
      fugitive
     
     
      slave
      law
      in
      1709
      which,
      among
      other
      things,
     
     
      called
      for
      the
      imposition
      of
      a
      heavy
      fine
      of
      50
     
     
      pounds’
      on
      anyone
      caught
      aiding
      a
      slave
      to
     
     
      escape.
     
    

    
     
      Here
      in
      Montreal,
      one
      of
      the
      most
      defiant
      acts
     
     
      of
      resistance
      occurred
      on
      the
      night
      of
      April
      11,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1734.
      Slavewoman
      Marie
      Joseph
      Angelique
      set
     
     
      fire
      to
      her
      mistress’
      residence
      on
      St.
      Paul
      Street.
     
     
      The
      fire
      ended
      by
      destroying
      46
      buildings
      in-
     
     
      cluding
      the
      Hotel
      Dieu,
      convent
      and
      church.
     
     
      Angelique
      was
      captured,
      dragged
      through
      the
     
     
      town
      and
      publicly
      put
      to
      death
      in
      July
      of
      the
     
     
      same
      year.
     
    

    
     
      Intense
      opposition
      to
      slavery
      encouraged
     
     
      Lt.-Governor
      Graves
      Simcoe
      to
      make
      Upper
     
     
      Canada
      the
      first
      British
      territory
      to
      legislate
     
     
      against
      slavery.
     
    

    
     
      ‘*From
      the
      moment
      that
      I
      assumed
      the
      gov-
     
     
      ernment
      of
      Upper
      Canada,
      under
      no
      modifica-
     
     
      tion
      will
      I
      assent
      to
      law
      that
      discriminated
      by
     
     
      dishonest
      policy
      between
      the
      natives
      of
      Africa,
     
     
      America
      or
      Europe,’’
      Simcoe
      proclaimed.
     
    

    
     
      He
      passed
      a
      law
      in
      1793
      that
      prohibited
      the
     
     
      importation
      of
      Black
      slaves
      into
      Upper
      Canada.
     
     
      Simcoe’s
      Act
      limited
      but
      did
      not
      abolish
      slav-
     
     
      ery.
      The
      law
      also
      stipulated
      that
      children
      born
     
     
      after
      the
      Act
      was
      passed
      were
      to
      be
      free
      upon
     
     
      reaching
      the
      age
      of
      25
      years
      old.
      The
      weight
      of
     
     
      such
      a
      stipulation
      must
      be
      seen
      in
      the
      ironic
     
     
      light
      that
      due
      to
      the
      harshness
      of
      slave
      condi-
     
     
      tions,
      the
      average
      life
      span
      of
      a
      slave
      was
      25.2
     
     
      years.
     
    

    
     
      Many
      American
      fugitive
      slaves
      and
      Black
     
     
      Loyalists
      were
      profoundly
      disheartened
      by
      the
     
     
      reception
      they
      got
      in
      Canada.
      Free
      Blacks
      were
     
     
      repeatedly
      mistaken
      for
      enslaved
      ones
      and
      all
     
     
      too
      often
      the
      British
      Crown’s
      promises
      of
      free
     
     
      land
      and
      full
      equality
      to
      loyal
      Blacks
      went
     
     
      unfulfilled.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      they
      were
      honoured,
      Blacks
      were
     
     
      given
      smaller
      lots
      on
      the
      poorest
      lands
      and
     
     
      generally
      left
      to
      fend
      for
      themselves
      without
     
     
      any
      initial
      government
      assistance.
      In
      1792,
     
     
      1200
      Blacks
      left
      Canada
      in
      search
      ofa
      better
      life
     
     
      in
      Sierra
      Leone,
      West
      Africa.
     
    

    
     
      Though
      most
      slaves
      escaping
      their
      masters
     
     
      were
      fleeing
      the
      United
      States
      to
      come
      to
      Canada,
     
     
      there
      was
      at
      least
      one
      instance,
      in
      1777,
      in
      which
     
     
      slaves
      in
      Canada
      escaped
      to
      Vermont
      where
     
     
      slavery
      had
      already
      been
      abolished.
     
    

    
     
      On
      August
      28,
      1883,
      the
      British
      Parliament
     
     
      officially
      abolished
      slavery
      in
      all
      British
      terri-
     
     
      tories,
      including
      Canada.
      The
      law
      came
      into
     
     
      effect
      at
      midnight
      on
      July
      31,
      1884.
      August
      Ist,
     
     
      Emancipation
      Day,
      is
      still
      celebrated
      by
      Black
     
     
      communities
      in
      Southern
      Ontario
      and
      in
      the
     
     
      Maritimes.
     
    

    
     
      Canadian
      slavery
      was
      in
      no
      way
      ‘‘more
     
     
      innocent”’
      or
      incidental
      and
      it
      should
      never
      be
     
     
      overlooked
      or
      dismissed;
      rather
      it
      should
      be
     
     
      remembered
      as
      an
      extremely
      important
      part
      of
     
     
      our
      history.
      Slavery
      played
      a
      significant
      role
      in
     
     
      the
      development
      of
      Canada.
      It
      must
      not
      be
     
     
      minimized
      or
      glossed
      over.
     
    

    
     
      In
      1910,
      Prime
      Minister
      Sir
      Wilfred
      Laurier
     
     
      said:
      ‘‘Weseein
      the
      United
      States
      what
      grave
     
     
      problems
      may
      arise
      from
      the
      presence
      of
      a
      race
     
     
      unable
      to
      become
      full
      members
      of
      the
      same
     
     
      social
      family
      as
      ourselves.”’
     
    

    
     
      Evidently,
      Wilfred
      failed
      to
      see
      that
      roots
      of
     
     
      racism
      were
      already
      homegrown.
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bugs,
      good
      for
      the
      heart
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      VICTORIA
      (CUP)--
     
     
      Most
      people
      only
      eat
      insects
      accidentally.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      Dr.
      Richard
      Ring,
      a
      University
      of
      Victoria
      entomologist,
      fries
      up
      mealworms
      in
      garlic
      and
     
     
      olive
      oil
      in
      his
      office.
      And
      all
      his
      students
      get
      to
      try
      them.
     
     
      Ring
      says
      Western
      society
      doesn’t
      see
      so-called
      ‘‘creepy
      crawlies’’
      as
      a
      real
      source
      of
      nutrition
     
    
   
   
    
     
      because
      of
      ignorance.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “*We
      think
      we’re
      such
      an
      enlightened
      society,’’
      he
      said.
      ‘‘But
      we
      have
      so
      many
      prejudices.”’
     
     
      Ring
      says
      we’re
      blinded
      to
      the
      nutritional
      potential
      of
      insects
      because
      we
      think
      of
      them
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘hairy,
      small,
      fast
      and
      elusive.”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      insects
      fed
      on
      plant
      material
      are
      a
      rich
      source
      of
      protein
      and
      essential
      fatty
      acids.
      And
      as
     
     
      for
      the
      indigestible
      exoskeleton,
      ‘‘modern
      refined
      diets
      like
      a
      little
      roughage
      anyway,”’
      Ring
      said.
     
     
      Although
      insects
      may
      contain
      some
      traces
      of
      pesticides,
      large
      amounts
      would
      kill
      them
      anyway,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he
      said,
      In
      any
      case,
      insects
      could
      be
      gathered
      from
      organic
      locations.
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      15