Convoy Place / Africville
Urban Community

Your Host(s) : Canada Post

Halifax, NS (Nearby: Middle Sackville, Fall River, Lower Sackville, Mount Uniacke, Waverley)

5515 DUFFUS ST
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3K 2M0


Nova Scotia Tourism Region : Halifax Metro

Description From Owner:
  • For almost two centuries Africville was a part of Halifax, home to many of the city's Black people and first known as Campbell Road for the street leading there.
  • Over the years the city of Halifax denied Africville such services as running water, paved roads, sewage system, electricity, and street lights, but located a prison, sewage dumping station and slaughterhouse there.
  • By the 1960s the housing and living conditions had deteriorated to slum level so council decided to acquire the land, demolish the homes and relocate the residents.
  • The city also had big plans for this area of prime real estate. In 1967 Africville residents were evicted from their homes. Most had no deeds to the land on which they had lived for 150 or more years so they were unable to fight city hall.
  • Families were paid $500 for their “inconvenience” and forced to leave their community and settle in poorly constructed public housing developments in Mulgrave Park, Spryfield and Uniacke Square.
  • Developers of the site of Africville called it Seaview, but the original name still survives.
  • When a map was published in 1995 showing the name Seaview Point instead of the earlier Negro Point, the local black community pointed out that there had as usual been no consultation with them and that
  • Negro Point was the historically correct name for the point sticking into Bedford Basin. In 2002 Africville was named a National Heritage Site. The United Nations has called on the government of Nova Scotia to compensate those displaced from Africville.
  • With permission from 'Nova Scotia Place Names' David E. Scott 2015


Address of this page: http://ns.ruralroutes.com/ConvoyPlace



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  • George Dixon

  • George Dixon

    'The Chocolate Drop' pugilist

    In 1890, George Dixon (1870-1909) won the world bantamweight boxing title, becoming the first Black ever to win a boxing title.

    He later won the world featherweight championship with a 40-round knockout, making him the first boxer of any ethnicity to hold two championships of different weight classes.

    He was born in Africville, an African-Canadian section of Halifax, and nicknamed Little Chocolate or The Chocolate Drop.

    He was 5,3" tall and weighed only 39.5 kg (87 pounds) for his first fight, which he won by a knockout in the 3rd round.

    It has been estimated Dixon may have participated in as many as 800 boxing matches, taking on anyone willing to fight for money he used to fuel his escalating addictions to gambling and alcohol.

    Boxing gloves at that time were used only intermittently and matches ran until one fighter was exhausted or knocked out, often for 50 rounds or more.


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