Acknowledging the rich and turbulent history of black settlers to Canada, and specifically Amber Valley, has been in the works for years.
Last weekend, descendants of the black settlers received recognition for the part they played in shaping the fabric of Canadian history and the hardship that they endured in being a part of it.
The plaque that was unveiled at the ceremony – to be displayed on the north side of Highway 55 between Athabasca and Boyle – tells the story of thousands of black immigrants who arrived in Canada, fleeing oppression under the Jim Crow laws, only to receive societal rejection upon their arrival in Canada.
Policies were put in place that stifled the number of black immigrants in Canada up until the 1960s as a direct result of public outcry of the immigration en masse.
In her address to those attending the plaque unveiling, Athabasca County Reeve Doris Splane spoke about what it must have been like for those original settlers, travelling hundreds of kilometres by train and then by foot, in pursuit of a better life.
They were not unlike the Syrian refugees we now see fleeing a war-torn country while we sit at home, she said.
That said, there are those who are repeating the mistakes of past, lobbying for fewer refugees to be admitted and tighter immigration rules.
While the situations are not identical between black people fleeing racism 100 years ago and Syrians fleeing war today, at its root, the issue is the same.
The complaint that ”they” are different than us or might take our jobs is no excuse.
As we celebrate Canada 150 this year, let us remember that this country celebrates multiculturalism, and is known to be sometimes too polite and kind. Let us not allow prejudice that will soon be outdated to be the excuse for allowing others to starve on our doorsteps, while the glow of our steak family dinner washes over them.
Let us learn from the past and use that insight to shape how we act today.
