5515 DUFFUS ST |
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