Celebrating Freedom on Toronto's Bloor Street one street corner at a time

 EMANCIPATION ON BLOOR STREET - AUGUST !st

Sunday on Bloor St - Sign Says It All - sweirsweir

Emancipation on Bloor

August 1st  1-3 pm

 

WHAT : Emancipation on Bloor is an animation of the Bloor Street Cultural Corridor from Yonge and Bloor to Christie and Bloor adding to the August 1st Emancipation Day activities. The animation takes place at key intersections on Bloor at Yonge, Bay, Avenue Rd, St. George, Spadina, Brunswick, Bathurst, Palmerston, and Christie Pits with a number of artistic expressions.

 

Emancipation on Bloor takes passersby through a series of “statements” through artistic expression including the liberation from chains, masquerade, spectrums of beauty, stereotypes, something of textiles, respect, resistance, and resilience.

 

WHERE:  Pannists will be stationed at the intersections mentioned above as an anchor for the “statements”. The “stage” for performers is located on the sidewalks along Bloor from Yonge to Christie in areas are that spacious to ensure passersby and artists can adequately socially distance.

 

We are asking the Bloor Street Corridor Collaborators to make their own “Statement of Emancipation” on the pavement at their respective intersections which will weave the artistic expressions down the road.

 

WHEN : Emancipation on Bloor will take place on Sunday August 1st, 1pm to 3pm. This initiative is led by A Different Booklist Cultural Centre in collaboration with the Festival Management Committee (FMC), and the Carnival Arts Community.

 

Why? Emancipation on Bloor commemorates an important milestone for descendants of Enslaved Africans marking the abolition of slavery and honours the many contributions and resilience of African peoples throughout the Diaspora. With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent declaration that August 1st will be recognized as Emancipation Day in Canada, it is important to mark this year’s Emancipation with a visual expression and statement.

 

WHO:  ADBCC - THE PEOPLE’S RESIDENCE - CONTACT SHANNON ASHMAN - 647 880 3072

 

How: Through a heritage instrument, statements on the sidewalk and portraits of Canadians.

 

Pannists stationed at intersections

 

1. Yonge & BLOOR -

2. BAY & BLOOR

3. AVENUE ROAD

4. ST. GEORGE 

5. SPADINA

6. BATHURST

 

7. Christie - Drums 

 

THE STORY - Through groups and animation

 

They Came BEFORE COLUMBUS - THE SCHOLARS  - Nigel Barriffe - Educators

Africa - Timbuktu is the seat of Knowledge - T-Shirts.

 

THE BEAUTY OF BLACKNESS - Nasa - 647 207 7395

 

THE ENSLAVEMENT PERIOD - Family - Yes - Nicole Osbourne - taking off chains at Christie Pits  

 

THE RAPE OF AFRICA  - Gold and Uranium - Akua 3-5

 

THE RESISTANCE  - SPIRITUALITY - Martin

 

THE RESILIENCE  - Carnival Masqueraders - Carnival public expression of emancipation

 

THE LIBERATION MOVEMENTS  - GROUPING

 

Rebellions - shirt short / hoe

Garvey movement - General

Pan-Africanist movement

Independence movement

Harlem Renaissance

Civil Rights movement

Rastafari movement

Black Lives Matter

 

Contact : Shannon at shannonashman@gmail.com

Or

Wendy@casper.wj56@gmail.com

Dr. Lynn Jones, an African Nova Scotia leader will blow the whistle

Annual Emancipation Day Underground Freedom Train Ride (Virtual) July 31st., 10.45 PM

 

Dr. Lynne Jones

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  National Emancipation Day is coming as Dr. Lynn Jones, an African Nova Scotia leader, educator, community activist and trade unionist, blows the whistle to start the 2021 virtual Toronto Underground Freedom Train ride at 10:54 PM on July 31^st.

 

Each and everyone is welcome to join us on our annual Toronto Freedom Train ride as we recognize the challenges and opportunities provided by Canada’s proclaimed Emancipation Day. The ride will be an incredible journey and experience about the Underground Railroad, the route enslaved Africans used to escape American slave plantations, seeking freedom in Canada and ultimately Emancipation Day on August 1^st.

 

The theme of this year’s Freedom Train ride is ‘The Fire Within’ as we focus on the element of fire and its power to re-kindle, transform and inspire. The train ride will feature a national declaration of Emancipation Day by Senator Wanda Bernard one of the Train Ride’s previous “Conductors” and an advocate for Canada’s national recognition of Emancipation Day. 

 

Also featured this year will be performances by Randell  Adjei, the first Poet Laureate of Ontario, award-winning composer  Andrew Craig,  musicians Eddie Martinez, Amani Woods, Phoenix, the Freedom Train Ride Choir, and various pulsating voices from around the country and across the seas. 

 

Notables confirmed  to participate during the Freedom Train Ride include:

1) Mayor John Tory

2) Chief Diversity and Culture  Officer TTC - Keisha Campbell

Everyone is welcome to join us on the virtual Underground Freedom Train Ride to celebrate National Emancipation Day by tuning in to YouTube channel ADBCC - The People’s Residence - 10.45 PM

 

Please contact Louis March at 416 577 3908, kingtut@sympatico.ca  for further information. Information is also available on social media, twitter, Eventbrite, and instagram platforms under FreedomTrainTor.

Emancipation Day Proclaimation Demanded by Freedom Train Conductor

Look Down The Track Senators – Wanda’s Emancipation Train Is Heading For Ottawa.

By Stephen Weir

Wanda Thomas Bernard at the mike Union Station

Stand back  honourable members of the Senate. The Emancipation Train is heading to Ottawa and Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard is going to blow her conductor’s whistle until Canada’s Upper House listens to the voices of the Caribbean and African American communities.

Dr. Bernard championed a bill proclaiming August 1^st Emancipation Day in Canada. Even though the legislation was passed by the Liberal Government and made it through two readings in the Senate, it failed to come up for the final vote before the Senate recessed.  The bill will not be brought back for a third and final reading.

At last Wednesday’s Freedom Train Ride in Toronto, the Nova Scotia senator said she is not going to give up.  Speaking to a crowd of close to 1,000 people inside TTC ‘s Union Station she told them  “I am 66 years old and I don’t have to retire (from the Senate) until I am 75. We will not give up anytime soon!”

 At Right: Libations - Aina-Nia Ayo'dele

For the seventh year in a row there was a special midnight subway train that took hundreds of people from Union Station to the Sheppard West Station. The symbolic special train left the station on July 31st and arrived at Sheppard just after midnight to celebrate the August 1^st Emancipation Day.

“This year was our seventh annual Freedom Train ride,” said organizer Itah Sadu.  “ It was an incredible journey and experience! This was second year that the Honourable Wanda Thomas Bernard, has joined us, but this was her first time as our honourary conductor. She had the whistle and gave the call to board the train.”

Train Arrives at Sheppard

Also taking part in the Freedom Train ceremonies  were poet George Elliott Clarke, City Councillor Michael Thompson and community organizer Adisa S. Oji. Councillor Thompson brought greetings and a plaque on behalf of the city and Mr. Oji was presented with the Community Resilience Award. 

Last week’s train ride marked two important things.  The Underground Railroad which brought former slaves to Canada in the 19^th century and the 185th anniversary of Emancipation Day on August 1, when the British Empire abolished slavery in 1834.  

The Senator hopes that she will be back next August 1^st with an official Federal Government signed Emancipation Day proclamation!

Underground Railroad leaves the station tonight at 11.30 AM Union Station Toronto

When the Hon. Wanda Thomas Bernard – Senator from Nova Scotia (East Preston) blows the whistle as Conductor - over one thousand people will take a ride on Toronto’s Underground Freedom Train, leaving Union subway station in celebration of Emancipation Day on July 31^st.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2019 ... The Hon. Wanda Thomas Bernard – Senator from Nova Scotia (East Preston), recipient of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia, and a highly regarded social worker, educator, researcher, community activist and social change advocate, is getting ready to blow her whistle and yell “All Aboard the Freedom Train” as Toronto gets set to mark Emancipation Day. For the seventh year in a row there will be a special midnight TTC train that will take hundreds of people to the Sheppard West Station on July 31^st to celebrate the August 1^st date.

 2018 kick-off of Underground RR ride

It all begins July 31st at 10:45pm at Toronto’s Union subway station. “We will be boarding the Underground Freedom Train at 11:30pm and travelling straight to Sheppard West subway station (previously Downsview station), arriving there at 12:15am on August 1st,” explained organizer Itah Sadu. “The date is internationally acclaimed as Emancipation Day”.

“This year’s seventh annual Freedom Train ride will be an incredible journey and experience about the Underground Railroad and the history of Emancipation Day”. Opening ceremonies will begin at 10:45pm at Union subway station and half-an-hour later Hon. Wanda Thomas Bernard, our honourary conductor, will give the call to board the train.”

The Hon. Wanda Thomas Bernard

People will gather by the Brookfield Rotunda TTC entrance on the main floor of Union Station. Last year over 1,000 people took the train to Sheppard West Station to recognize the brave people who travelled the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada and then celebrate Emancipation Day.

 As people board the train there will be drumming, spoken word and songs will be sung, along with a tribute to the resilience of the many who travelled along the Underground Railway, seeking freedom in Canada. During the ride there will be a moment of silence called over the train’s intercom.

Notables confirmed to participate during the Freedom Train Ride include:

George Elliott Clarke -  Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic who served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015 and as the 2016-2017 Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate

Michael Thompson - City Councilor and Toronto Deputy Mayor

Tiki Mercury Clarke – One of the all-time greatest Canadian jazz artists

Adisa S. Oji – recipient of the Community Resilience award

Also in attendance will be special guests from Buffalo and Albany in New York and also the Toronto African Drumming Collective.

Everyone is welcome to join us on this Underground Freedom Train Ride to celebrate Emancipation Day. People will need a regular TTC ticket for admission and come prepared for being part of a very unique subway ride. Seventh annual Underground Freedom Train Ride t-shirts are available for purchase at A Different Booklist store, prior to the ride. Further information - available at A Different Booklist 416-538-0889 or by following on twitter @FreedomTrainTOR.

 Media wishing to take the midnight ride on July 31st, welcome to cover but please let me know to assure your crew spots on subway

 TTC volunteers drive the train

STEPHEN WEIR
Stephen Weir & Associates | stephen@stephenweir.com
109 Castlefield Avenue, Toronto, ON
CANADA. M4R 1G5
Tel: 416-489-5868 | cell: 416-801-3101
www.stephenweir.com twitter: sweirsweir