Slavery 2018

After doing some internet research on the history of slavery in Canada, I came across an interesting story about modern day slavery that was published in the New York Times in July 2015.

"Sea Slaves" is not the only type of human bondage that exists in the modern world, but it is one example of how despicable people can be and how little is done to protect innocent victims of this crime.

Mobility Challenges Amplified By Foul Weather

We may all complain a little (or a lot) about the snow and how difficult it is to get around in a car or on foot, but what if you're someone who is physically challenged and has to contend with  the snow from the seat of a wheelchair? 

Of course, with challenges come innovations and here are some great inventions that help this cause and allow those with physical limitations to get out in Winter weather and be more independent.

This tracked wheelchair would definitely make traction much better.

This may be a bit extreme for every day use but a person could really explore the great outdoors in this beast!

A home made rig for this senior.

A heavy duty version of a mobility scooter that can tackle serious snow!

Another heavy duty rig, this one with 4 wheels for better stability.

All terrain exploration is possible.

And, as an addendum to this conversation, here's a great little story about a military vet who gained some freedom and purpose after he had his leg amputated.

Justin Andersen had his wheelchair adapted to a special rig that includes a snow plow and he now gets out and helps the community by clearing sidewalks. Way to go Justin!!

Yeah, consider the challenges of being dependent on a mobility device and the fight to get through snow and slush in one of those and it will give you good cause to stop bitching about your own woes and appreciate your advantages. And, maybe you'll also be motivated to get outside and ensure your own sidewalk is clear of snow and ice so that anyone who does have mobility issues can navigate the community all the better.

February Is Black History Month: Marie-Joseph Angelique

If there was a symbol of black resistance to slavery in Canada, one need look no further than Marie-Joseph Angelique.

"Incendiary" by artist Kit Lang

As an enslaved black woman in Montreal, Angelique highly and rightly resented being the property of her "owner" and resisted those who would keep her enslaved, asking multiple times to be granted her freedom. When her requests were refused, her fiery temper would emerge and there were several instances of her threatening to burn down the house and kill everyone living inside.

After a huge fire levelled the Montreal merchants district in 1734, many people pointed to Angelique as a possible suspect. Of course, there was no real evidence, merely hearsay regarding her angered threats, but that didn't stop the judicial council of finding her guilty and sentencing her to death.

Guilty or not, Angelique was merely fighting for her right to be a free person and uphold the belief that no-one should have to endure being the property of another person and classed as a slave.

Marie-Joseph Angelique:

February Is Black History Month: Josiah Henson

Although Josiah Henson could technically be considered an American, being born into slavery in Maryland, he escaped north to Canada and became a free man, living here for the rest of his life.

Actually, it is the life of Josiah Henson that inspired the anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852, it's a story which is reputed to have started the 1861 U.S. Civil War.

Henson was enslaved for more than 40 years but escaped in 1830 to "Upper Canada" (Southern Ontario).  He established a community called Dawn, near the town of Dresden, where he welcomed other fugitive slaves and built an industrial school.

Nancy and Josiah Henson

As mentioned, Henson was the inspiration for "Uncle Tom's Cabin" but other notable moments in his life included having once had a private audience with Queen Victoria while seeking funds for his school and being the first black man to be featured on a Canadian stamp. Henson also lived to the ripe old age of 93, a feat in itself!

Josiah Henson meets Queen Victoria in 1851

Love Hearts

Someone brought a package of "Love Hearts" into the office for Valentine's Day and seeing the package took me back to my days as a youth, and I mean way, way back, because I'm an old guy! haha! 

Didn't everybody love these when they were kids?

Yes, Love Hearts have been around for a long time, with production beginning in 1954.  My access to them here in Canada was due to having parents born in Scotland and England, and family who sent us "sweets" in parcels, since this confection is made by Swizzels in the U.K.. Of course, the U.S. equivalent, called Sweethearts, was what most people will remember, in comparison to my own childhood.

I'm sure everyone has a childhood memory of their favourite candy and the two aforementioned brands were very popular, especially around Valentine's Day. I guess the little "love messages" were one way to let that special someone know you cared, and were quite affordable for kids and teens.

It's interesting how the messages have changed over the years though. I don't recall seeing "LOL" or "Text Me" on any of the wafers I chewed back in my day! Something to do with rotary phones I guess! haha. Different times for sure.

One thing unknown to me until the day I wrote this post was that the Sweethearts brand are no longer in production, with confectioner NECCO filing for bankruptcy in 2018. Sad to know, what with stheir long history dating back to 1847, as well as being a long time title holder of being the most popular candy on Valentine's Day.

photo courtesy of Spangler Candy Company

Maybe for those who still ove this candy, the good news might be that the rights and recipe of this confection was purchased by the Spangler Candy Company and the wafer candy apparently will be back in production in 2019, maybe in time for Valentine's Day!

February Is Black History Month: Chloe Cooley

As mentioned in my previous post, Canada has it's own sordid history with slavery and Chloe Cooley could be considered a key figure in getting the wheels in motion for abolishing this horrible practise.

Chloe Cooley was an enslaved woman in Upper Canada who had been fighting to be freed for many years. Of course, being considered chattel, her acts of defiance were met with some harshness no doubt. This is likely the reason she was bound and thrown into a boat, headed across the Niagara River to New York where she was to be sold.

During this process, Cooley fiercely resisted and her screams caused several people to be witnesses to the incident and reporting it to then Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe. As an abolitionist, Simcoe used the incident as a means to introduce legislation to abolish slavery in Upper Canada.

Unfortunately, the best that could be done at the time was "The Act To Limit Slavery", but it was a step in the right direction and was followed by outright abolishment in subsequent years.

February Is Black History Month: Oliviere Le Jeune

Canadians have a somewhat disconnected view of the history of slavery in their own country, believing that we were somehow different than the United States and were a sanctuary for slaves, when quite the opposite is true.

The sale of slave Oliviere Le Jeune image is courtesy of "The Kids Book Of Black Canadian History"  and artist Wang Oijun

Slavery of conquered tribes was practised amongst the indigenous people of Canada, though typically those people were usually not considered property of the slavers in the manner in which we associate most (chattel) slavery. 

No doubt that slavery existed previous to the event I am about to mention, but to establish an official date of slavery being an accepted practice here we can look at the case of  Oliviere Le Jeune, the first documented black slave in Canada. 

Le Jeune was a 6 or 7 year old boy from Madagascar, taken from his homeland and transported across the ocean by naval commander David Kirke, who then sold him to a French clerk in the employ of the British when they conquered "New France" (Quebec) in 1629.

Oliviere Le Jeune did eventually become a free man

Considering that it took 174 years for the the "Act To Limit Slavery" legislation to be enacted in what was then a British colony, we have a very long history of either exploiting people as slaves, or at the very least, tolerating this abhorrent practise. 

And please note, "The Act To Limit Slavery" was designed to do just that, limit slavery and not abolish it entirely. Britain did not officially abolish slavery until 1834, whereas several of the northern states in the U.S. had done so in 1787. 

Yes, it's great that we had many people fighting to abolish slavery, and that we helped support the Underground Railroad before the U.S., as a country, abolished slavery in 1864. But don't let that fool you into thinking there wasn't some shameful behaviour in Canada and know that we're just as culpable as our southern neighbours when it comes to the enslavement of people. 

Word Of the Week: February 2nd 2018

February is Black History Month and you can expect to see a series of my future posts on some important facts and figures in Canada's past, discussing things like slavery and racism, and the people who played important roles in evoking change. 

To set the tone, here is the word of the week, which you will find relevent to many of the posts you'll read in February.

Definition supplied by Dictionary.com

man·u·mit

/ˌmanyəˈmit/

verb

HISTORICAL

past tense: manumitted; past participle: manumitted

1. release from slavery; set free.