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Black Canadians in Montreal facts for kids

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Black Canadians are a big part of Montreal's population, with over 171,000 people. They make up about 10.3% of the city. Most Black Canadians in Montreal have roots in the Caribbean or Africa. There are also people from African American backgrounds, including Black Nova Scotians.

Where Black Canadians Live in Montreal

Many Black Canadians live in Montreal and its surrounding areas. Here are some places with a higher percentage of Black residents than the national average, based on the 2016 Canada Census:

One famous neighborhood in Montreal for Black Canadians is Little Burgundy. It's known as the birthplace of Canadian jazz music. Many early jazz musicians came from here. Today, Little Burgundy and other areas like Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, LaSalle, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, and Montréal-Nord have large Black populations. Montréal-Nord is especially home to many people of Haitian background.

A Look Back in Time

Mathieu da costa
Mathieu de Costa, the first recorded free Black person to arrive in Canada.

The first recorded Black person to arrive in what is now Canada was a free man named Mathieu de Costa. He came with explorer Samuel de Champlain between 1603 and 1608. De Costa worked as a translator for the French. The first known Black person to live here was Olivier Le Jeune, who was enslaved and came from Madagascar.

Black people arrived in Canada in different waves over time. Some came as free people serving in the French military. Others were enslaved or worked as indentured servants.

A significant historical event involved Marie-Joseph Angélique, an enslaved Black woman from the Madeira islands. She arrived in New France in 1725. In 1734, she was accused of starting a big fire that burned down much of Montreal. She confessed under pressure, saying she started the fire to create a chance to escape. She feared her owner would sell her away from her loved one. Historians still debate whether her confession was true.

In 1769, an enslaved Black man named Joseph escaped from his owner in Montreal. Many other enslaved Black people also escaped from the area in the years that followed.

Modern Times

Many railway porters in Canada were Black men recruited from the United States. They settled in major cities like Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver, which had big train connections. In Montreal, many lived in the Little Burgundy neighborhood. Railway jobs were seen as good because they offered steady work and a chance to travel.

To help their community, the Black residents of Little Burgundy created many groups. These included the Women's Coloured Club of Montreal (1902), the Union United Congregational Church (1907), and the Negro Community Center (1927). The neighborhood became famous for its talented jazz musicians. During the time of Prohibition (when alcohol was banned in the U.S.) and later, Little Burgundy had many lively nightclubs. These clubs featured local and international performers. Famous musicians like Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones came from this area.

As the community grew, people started moving to nearby areas like Saint-Henri, Côte-Saint-Paul, Verdun, and Ville Emard. They often lived alongside French-speaking working-class families. Even though there were few laws against mixed neighborhoods in Montreal, everyday racism and unfair treatment limited where Black Canadians could live until the 1960s.

In 1968, the Sir George Williams affair happened. This event involved protests against unfair policies at Sir George Williams University, highlighting issues of racism in education.

Many women from the West Indies (both French and English-speaking Caribbean islands) came to Montreal after the Domestic Immigration Program of 1955 started. Most of them settled in Little Burgundy.

Canada changed its immigration rules in 1962, removing racial requirements. This happened as many Caribbean countries were becoming independent. Over the next few decades, hundreds of thousands of people from the Caribbean came to Canada, becoming the main Black population group. Since then, more and more immigrants from Africa have also come to Canada. Today, most Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin, with many also from Africa, and smaller numbers from the United States, Europe, and Latin America.

By 1977, between 1,200 and 2,400 Black Nova Scotians lived in Montreal. Many settled in Little Burgundy alongside African-Americans and English-speaking West Indians. As the Black community grew, wealthier families, often railway employees, moved to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. This trend increased with urban renewal projects before Expo '67, like the building of the Ville Marie expressway, which forced many residents to move. Those who could afford it moved to NDG and Côte-des-Neiges, creating diverse English-speaking communities there. Poorer residents were often scattered in nearby areas. By 1996, Little Burgundy, which once housed 90% of the city's Black residents, was home to only 2%.

A Diverse Community Today

Today, Montreal's Black community is very diverse. The largest group is the mostly French-speaking Haitian community, with about 120,000 people. Haitians now outnumber the older English-speaking Black community. Many Haitians live in Montréal-Nord, Saint-Michel, Rosemont, and R.D.P.. Haitian Creole is now the sixth most spoken language in Montreal.

English-speaking Black Montrealers traditionally live in the city's western areas and historically in the South West. Haitians and other French-speaking Black people tend to settle in the diverse North-eastern areas. Smaller groups include people from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, other Caribbean islands, and students and migrants from mostly French-speaking African countries. Most Black Montrealers today can speak both French and English. Many English-speaking Black families still live in Cote-des-Neiges and NDG, but middle-class families have also moved to La Salle, the West Island, and the South Shore.

Culture and Celebrations

Carifiesta (also called Carifête in French) is an annual Caribbean Carnival held in Montreal. This festival celebrates the many different cultures within the Canadian community of African and Afro-Caribbean descent.

The Montreal Black Film Festival is also held every year, showcasing films by Black creators.

Black Canadians have greatly influenced Canadian music. They helped create and popularize many types of music, including Canadian hip hop, Canadian blues, Canadian jazz, R&B, Caribbean music, pop, and classical music. Early musical pioneers include Oliver Jones, Oscar Peterson, and Charlie Biddle.

Black Canadian artists often create works that explore what it means to be Black in Canada. They show how their culture is unique, different from both mainstream Canadian culture and African American culture. For example, many Black-themed TV shows in Canada focus on building and growing Black cultural or community organizations.

Important Places and Groups

  • The Negro Community Centre
  • Union United Church
  • Oscar Peterson Park
  • Youth In Motion Community Centre
  • Tyndale St. George's Community Centre

Media for the Community

The Community Contact is a newspaper that serves Montreal's Black and Caribbean community. Black Wealth Matters is a web series that talks about issues important to the community.

Famous Black Montrealers

See Also

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