230th Anniversary of the 1792 Black Loyalist Exodus to Sierra Leone

Whereas the Town of Arnprior acknowledges that 2022 is the 230th anniversary of the Black Loyalist Exodus from Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone on fifteen (15) ships; and

Whereas we recognize that people of African descent have been a part of Canadian society since the early 1600s and that their enslavement occurred on this land for centuries. The Black Loyalists’ departure is directly linked to the failure of institutional, political and societal will to fulfill the promises that were made to the Black Loyalists that departed for Sierra Leone from the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1792; and

Whereas #1792Project is committed to promote histories such as the 15 ships to Sierra Leone that often have been left in a vacuum of erasure throughout Canada; and

Whereas the conditions and causes that led to the exodus of 1,196 self-liberated Black Loyalists were conditions of abject institutionalized racism and that this departure took place at the height of the transatlantic chattel slave trade, one of the cruelest chapters in the history of humanity; and

Whereas the Town of Arnprior joins with municipalities across Canada to honour and recognize the significance and impact of the 230th Anniversary. Recognition of the anniversary strengthens and acknowledges the important role that municipalities continue to play in addressing systemic and institutional racism across Canada; and

Whereas the Town of Arnprior recognizes the ongoing significance of the UN Decade of African Descent and the importance of recognizing the history of Black Loyalists throughout Canada and how all communities in Canada continue to be affected by the historic rift of the Black community.

Now Therefore, I, Walter Stack, Mayor of the Town of Arnprior, Do Hereby Proclaim 2022 as the 230th anniversary of the 1792 Black Loyalist Exodus to Sierra Leone and
encourage local residents to reflect and learn more about African Canadian history and the important contributions that African Canadians have played in our national history.

Walter Stack, Mayor
Town of Arnprior