After Britain abolished slavery in 1833, the government agreed to compensate enslavers for the loss of their “property.” Roughly 4,000 awards were made to slave owners across the British colonies, totalling £20 million, equal to about $30.5 billion Canadian, today. The usual understanding has been that Canada was not included in the British government’s compensation package, however recent data from the University of Central London (UCL) suggests that this is not quite true.

While searching through the UCL’s digitized registries of who received compensation and how it was divided, I found out that since 1837, 81 claims were received from persons who resided in Canada and 28 awards were given. While those who owned enslaved persons in Canada were not compensated, those who owned enslaved persons outside of Canada were. In total, they received compensation for 3,790 enslaved persons, totalling £150,333 – about $43 million in current Canadian dollars.

Such a vast injection would have had a significant impact on the economy. And notably, individuals listed in the database include former provincial governor Sir James Douglas of British Columbia and former Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, however, there is no information on if Douglas or Macdonald were compensated. It appears that they had family members, either through blood or marriage, who were compensated for their slave ownership. Still, such high-profile positions speak to the potential influence of this compensation on Canada’s political landscape.

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It’s now clear that less than 30 years before Confederation, persons living in British North America, which later became part of Canada, were receiving compensation for the enslavement of Africans. What does this mean for Canada and its duty to apologize and offer reparations?

While it seems we, as a country, have apologized for many things, Canada has never apologized for its role in the enslavement of Africans. The narrative often adopted is that since there was no compensation here, it’s not about Canada. But enslavement occurred on these lands now called Canada. It was carried out by people who are considered loyal citizens of our land. The main reason to resist an apology is to deny our responsibility. The urgency of acknowledging and apologizing for these historical injustices cannot be overstated.

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But an apology offers something more than sentimentalism. It provides a way to further the issue of justice. There are those who have suggested that we ignore slavery and move on. How can you? The institution of slavery has nurtured a particular way of looking at Black people. This perspective has negatively affected the lives of many Black Canadians up to today.

We can no longer argue that the chattel enslavement of Africans has nothing to do with Canada. Nor can we say its effect was negligible. If we are serious about building a future with hope, we must learn from history. Conveniently erasing parts of our past narrative is only to perpetuate the existing evils. We cannot ignore that it happened. We cannot forget that it negatively affected the lives of many, even though some have benefited from it.

Working towards a better future can only happen when we have all the facts. Canada is a good place. However, our pride must be bolstered by telling the truth about the past. 

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story implied that Sir James Douglas and John A. Macdonald received compensation for owning slaves, when it is not clear if that is the case. This version has been corrected.

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Rev. Paul Douglas Walfall is a minister at Pilgrim United in Edmonton.

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