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!

Freedom Train Fires Up Senator to Push For A National Emancipation Day

Last Night’s Freedom Train Fires Up Senator to Push The Feds For A National August 1^st Emancipation Day.

By Stephen Weir

It all happened underground late Tuesday night while most of Toronto slept. Looking out over a sea of Caribbean Canadian faces at the start of the Freedom Ride; Senator Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard said “You should see the beautiful view from here!”

The Halifax senator, one of only a few Afro-Canadians currently sitting in the Upper Chamber, was a keynote speaker at last night’s 6th annual Emancipation Day Underground Freedom Train ride. She told the audience of over a 1,000 that when she gets back to Ottawa she is going to continue the work that was started by Toronto Historian Rosemary Sadlier, to make August 1^st, Emancipation Day, a federally proclaimed national day. 

senator bernard

Senator Bernard shared the microphone with the Toronto Caribbean Carnival's Rita Cox, the honourary conductor of the 2018 Freedom Train. They stood on the steps of the Rotunda inside the TTC Union Station. The pair were surrounded by people wanting to join them on a special subway train ride to mark the August 1,1834 proclamation abolishing slavery in the British Empire and to honour the people who escaped to Canada on the Underground Railroad.

“We will begin boarding the Underground Freedom Train (a private TTC subway train) at 11:30pm and we will travel nonstop to the Sheppard West Station. I ask all of you to stay silent until we pass the St. George station, in honour of those who came before us,” organizer Itah Sadu told the crowd. “ We should arrive just after midnight August 1^st and together we will mark this glorious date -- Emancipation Day.” 

Organized and looked after by supportive TTC volunteers (check out the volunteer driver welcoming people on board the Freedom Train), the journey was a mixture of quiet reflection followed by a sing-along of Bob Marley tunes and spiritual songs.  Arriving at the large two-story Sheppard Station, the disembarking passengers were greeted by the sounds of event drummers Muhtadi Thomas and Quammie Williams along with pannists from the Pan Fantasy orchestra.

In the audience were a number of community activists including Dr. Rosemary Sadlier, the former president of the Ontario Black History Society. Last year she reached out to Canadians to sign a petition to the Federal Government to declare August 1st as Emancipation Day across the Dominion. 

“We did present the petition to the Feds, and while nothing has happened in the House, a lot things are going on behind the scenes”, Dr. Sadlier told me at the crowded subway station.  “What Senator Bernard said tonight makes a big difference, and I think this (Emancipation Day) will move forward.”

This morning a tired by ecstatic Itah Sadu talked to me about the Train Ride.  “I stayed until the last person had left the station. It was the best Freedom Train ever. No incidents. It was all love.  Looking forward to 2019, but, I am wondering what it would be like to watch from the comfort of sidelines next year!”

Poet at Union Station