HALIFAX – A new $ 20 silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint to coincide with the start of Black History Month commemorates black loyalists who landed in Nova Scotia following the American Revolution.
The new coin unveiled Monday features a shield with a heraldry depicting the “Black Loyalist Heritage Society”. Black Loyalists arrived between 1783 and 1785 and were at one time the largest group of people of African descent to immigrate to Nova Scotia.
“We have a collective duty to commemorate black loyalists, their sacrifices and their achievements,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday at a virtual event. Today is a step in that direction as we unveil this coin. ”
Mr Trudeau said loyalists fought alongside the British during the American War of Independence in hopes of obtaining land and being freed from slavery. After the war – and the defeat of the British – more than 3,000 Black Loyalists eventually settled in Nova Scotia.
“But despite the promise of a better life, they faced racial segregation, hostility and discrimination,” Trudeau said. Unfortunately, freedom does not mean equality. ”
More than 1,000 loyalists eventually left the province and were instrumental in establishing the settlement of Freetown in Sierra Leone in 1792.
Many, however, remained in Nova Scotia; they lived and worked in settlements near Shelburne, Birchtown, Weymouth, Digby and Halifax, among others. In New Brunswick, black loyalists settled in Saint John and along the Saint John River.
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said the play was an important reminder of the “deep-rooted” legacy of black loyalists in the province.
“African Nova Scotians have had to break down barriers and continue to do so to improve the lives of future generations,” said McNeil. Black loyalists were pioneers in building popular movements for liberation and inspiration. ”
Charles Smith, president of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society, said the contributions of African Canadians “deserve to be told.”
“It’s a story of tenacity, strength, hope and faith mixed with fear, anger and sometimes defeat,” said Smith. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors and share this heritage with our descendants to come. ”
The coin bears the company’s motto: “The heart of your knowledge is in your roots”. The Royal Canadian Mint said it would limit the number of coins it minted to 5,500.
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