As African Heritage Month draws to a close, we are reflecting on the theme Seas of Struggle – and the role of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean was the highway for merchants travelling between Nova Scotia and the West Indies trade market. Merchants shipped resources like Atlantic cod to slave colonies in the West Indies where it was used to feed enslaved workers. In exchange for the cod, the merchants received goods produced by enslaved people and brought them back to Halifax for sale.
Enos Collins, the richest man in British North America at the time of his death, made much of his fortune as one of these merchants. He was also the biggest private investor in the Shubenacadie Canal. The canal, like many infrastructure projects and institutions of its era, was funded with money tied to the slave economy.
By learning about this dark complex and history, we can work towards a brighter future. A future that is supportive, reduces discrimination and makes the Shubenacadie Waterway sites and interpretation fully inclusive for all.
Source: Report of Lord Dalhousie’s History on Slavery and Race.