The 159th Emancipation Festival is pleased to provide an informative and entertaining video showcasing speakers and performers who will share compelling stories and compositions of freedom, legacy and inclusion.

This virtual experience is an alternative to the annual festivities that take place in Owen Sound, the most northern terminus of the Underground Railroad and the longest continuous running emancipation picnic in North America.

Celebrate this special occasion with us!

August 1, 2021 will be the first Emancipation Day since Bill M-36 was unanimously passed in the House of Commons to officially recognize this significant day across Canada.

Featured on the video are the Honourable Wanda Thomas Barnard, Senator – Nova Scotia (East Preston), Owen Sound’s Mayor Ian Boddy, Members of Parliament Alex Ruff (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound), Majid Jowhari (Richmond Hill) and Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre), Dr. Afua Cooper, Ontario’s Poet Laureate Randell Adjei, and many others.

Musicians Bobby Dean Blackburn, Brooke Blackburn, Harrison Kennedy, Michael Dunston, Eugene Smith, Josh Ritchie and other artists are also showcased.

The video will premiere on our YouTube Channel, starting at noon on Sunday, August 1. Busy at that time? That’s okay! You can watch it anytime at your convenience.

source: media release, Owen Sound Emancipation Festival

photo credit: Anne-Marie Hay