Emancipation Day - August 1, 2026

Proclamation from the Mayor of behalf of the Town of Amherstburg: "August 1, 2026 is Emancipation Day"

WHEREAS: August 1, 1834, was the date that slavery was abolished throughout the British Colonies by King William IV pursuant to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833;

WHEREAS: Within fifteen years of the abolition of slavery, between 35,000 and 40,000 Black settlers made their way to Ontario in large part by the Underground Railroad into Southwestern Ontario; and

THEREFORE: As a demonstration of our respect for human liberty and freedom and in recognition of the richness of the culture and history brought to Ontario by African Canadians, AUGUST 1, 2026, be proclaimed ‘EMANCIPATION DAY’ in the Town of Amherstburg.

- Mayor Michael Prue