Remembering Africville:

Sources at the Archives

    Seaview United Baptist Church, 196?  HRM Archives 102-16N-065.F-cropped from original

In February 2010, Mayor Peter Kelly formally apologized to the former residents of Africville. (see details of the Apology and Agreement).  In this Research Guide, the Municipal Archives highlights records that document the City's interaction with the small but hugely symbolic African Nova Scotian community on its "northern slope".

Municipal records tell part of the story of Africville's relationship with the City of Halifax.  It is through its minutes, correspondence, expropriation files, and agreements that the City documents its decisions and actions. 

These records capture an image of our past as seen through the lens of municipal staff and officials, but also through the experience of citizens, as they too are represented in their letters, petitions, surveys, participation in committees and public hearings - these too are part of the municipal record. 

But city records are only part of Africville's story.  A fuller story of Africville is told through the many sources available; some recorded, some passed from generation to generation, some still being created.  See below for links to Sources at Other Repositories.  The Africville Story lives on.

Historical Municipal Sources on Africville

The Municipal Archives provides access to many records and secondary sources about Africville.  View some samples of the records here - others can be scanned by request - all can be viewed at the Archives.  Click on each source for more details.  Fullest details are in the Archives Database.

• City Council Minutes and Submissions

• Halifax Advisory Committee on Human Rights records
• City Manager's Office correspondence files
• Redevelopment Committee's Africville Sub-committee records
• Halifax Police Department photographs of Africville
• Urban Renewal photographs of Africville
• City Clerk's Office reference file on Africville
• The 1945 Master Plan for the City of Halifax
• Gordon Stephenson's 1957 Redevelopment Study
• Dr. Rose's 1963 Report of a visit to Halifax with a particular respect to Africville
• Building Permits for Africville Homes
• Public Health and Welfare Committee records
• Plans from City Manager's Africville files and City Engineer's Office

City Council Minutes and Submissions, 1841-1996 (102-1A&B)

The City's interaction with the community of Africville leaves a trail of evidence in City Council minutes.  From  the first mention of Africville in 1867, to the many petitions for better services, such as in 1895 for water service on the Campbell Road, to Regional Council's historic reparation agreement in 2010, Council minutes help track the demand for public services in Africville, the City's response, public health and welfare issues, urban renewal plans, expropriation negotiations, relocation issues, and finally the struggle for reparations.

1909 Petition to Council for a Community Well Click on image to view a 1909 petition to Council for a community well signed by Africville residents J. Edward Dixon, E. Carvery, William Howe, Edward Dixon, Walter Thomas, William Howe, William Carvery, James Hamilton, James Dixon, William Mantley, Alfred Carvery, Arthur Dixon, John Byers, Alexander Carvery, Jacob Turner, John Barron, Alex Carvery, Allen Dixon, Isaac Mantley, John Brown, George Dixon, Fred Byers, Fin Roan and Dave Byers.  Report to Council includes the City Engineer's response and the Committee on Works recommendation to undertake the work, which was approved by Council on Sept. 23, 1909.  [HRM Archives file 102-1B-1909-09-23.363]

Halifax Advisory Committee on Human Rights records, 1954-2004, (CR 5) Minutes, reports, correspondence, surveys and newsclippings from this volunteer citizens' group which was formed in 1962 to act as an advisory committee for the interests of the people of Africville and to monitor and protect their rights during the relocation of Africville by the City of Halifax in the 1960s. Donated by committee members Gus Wedderburn and Donald Maclean.
	(click on article to view .pdf file) [from file CR 5.20]
Examples from files: 1963 statement presented from the Advisory Committee to City Council stating that extraordinary measures were needed for Africville, and recommending Dr. Rose be hired to study the community	CR 5.21 (click to view .pdf file)
1963 letter from Alan Borovoy, well-known civil rights activist, then executive secretary of the Toronto Distirct Labour Committee for Human Rights, offering strategic advice to the Halifax Advisory Committee on Human Rights	CR 5.20 (click to view .pdf file)

Redevelopment Committee's Africville Sub-committee records, 1963-1968 (102-42C)

Minutes, correspondence and reports of the sub-commitee which advised Council on how to implement the relocation of Africville residents.

Halifax Police Department photographs of Africville (102-16N-0065) 13 photos taken in March 1968, towards the end of relocation, scanned by police for display at the Halifax Police Museum. (Click on image to enlarge)
Engineering and Works Urban Renewal photographs of Africville (102-39-1) Approximately 30 exterior views of Africville taken by City staff. (Click on image to enlarge)

BACK TO LIST OF SOURCES

City Clerk's Office reference file on Africville, 1965-1994 (102-5-1-44)

Copies of newsclippings, reports, minutes, including a chronology of Council minutes related to Africville from 1962-1966.

The Master Plan for the City of Halifax Civic Planning Commission, 1945  (711.45.H17) The City of Halifax's first effort at planning, recommends removal of "Africville Settlement", providing residents "with a decent minimum standard of housing elsewhere" , and residential development of the Northern Slope of the city. (click on image to view pdf of Table of Contents and sections related to Africville)

A redevelopment study of Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1957 prepared for City Council by Gordon Stephenson (711.45 .S8) The Stephenson Report recommended a programme of urban renewal for Halifax including removal of the Africville "slum". (click on image to view pdf of Table of Contents)

Report of a visit to Halifax with a particular respect to Africville by Dr. Albert Rose, 1963, City of Halifax Council submission,  Dec. 12, 1963, 102-1B.  

The Rose Report recommended expropriation with full compensation and assistance with relocation.  It was ratified by Council and the Halifax Advisory Committee on Human Rights and set the City on a course of clearance and relocation.  Click here to view a scan (pdf) of the 10 page Report.

Building Permits for Africville, 1906-1949 (102-39I-29)

BACK TO LIST OF SOURCES

Public Health and Welfare Committee minutes - Africville School, 1946 (click to view pdf) ; Africville -Wells, 1947; Permit Application - Barrington Street - Africville, 1948; Building Permits - Africville, 1949; Africville - Condemned Premises, 1951; Permit Application - Pigs - Africville, 1951; Africville Privy, 1954; Africville - Garbage Permit, 1955; Permit Application - Africville, 1957; Africville District - Paratyphoid, 1962; Africville - Residence Unfit for Human Habitation, 1967; Africville Follow-up Program, 1970 (click to view pdf);

Plans from City Manager's Africville files (102-4A.5)   Eg. Africville, 1916 102-4A.5.3 [cropped from original] (clck on image to download .pdf)

City Engineer's Office plans, 1898-1968 (102-39P)   eg. Industrial Mile - Africville Area - Land Ownership and Buildings, 1962 Planning Dept. plan P500/46 (click on image to enlarge - PDF document 1.9KB)

Secondary Sources:

A history of marginalization - Africville: a Canadian example of forced migration, unpublished thesis by Mary Pamela Vincer, 2008 (971.6225 .V5 REFCOLL)

Africville: Can't Stop Now, 2009 documentary directed by Juanita Peters follows the personal stories of members of the Carvery family dealing with the Africville legacy.

Africville : The life and death of a Canadian black community by Donald H. Clairmont and Dennis William Magill, 1987, 1999 (971.6225 C REFCOLL)

Africville: A spirit that lives on Exhibition publication by Mount St. Vincent University Art Gallery, 1989 (971.6225 S REFCOLL)

Africville Relocation Report by Donald Clairmont and Dennis Magill, 1971

From Africville to New Road: How four communities planned their development by Althea J. Tolliver and James A. Francois, 1983 (397.14 T REFCOLL)

The Condition of the Negroes of Halifax City, Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University Institute of Public Affairs, 1962 (305.8 C REFCOLL)

Nova Scotian Blacks: An Historical and Structural Overview by Donald H. Clarmont and Dennis W. Magill, Dalhousie Institute of Public Affairs, 1970 (971.6 .C5 REFCOLL)

The Spirit of Africville by Charles Saunders et al, 1992 (971.6225 S)

The women of Africville: Race and gender in postwar Halifax  thesis by Susan Marion-Jean Precious, 1998 (305.4 .P7 REFCOLL)

Our Roots: Canada's Local Histories On-line has made of some of these volumes available on the internet.

Primary Sources about Africville at other Repositories:

Africville Genealogy Society -on-line gallery of images, audio and visual recordings of Africville residents.

Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia - African Nova Scotian Museum/Library Resource Centre that protects, preserves and promotes Black Culture in NS.  Exhibit "Africville: The Spirit Lives On" upstairs in the Museum.

CBC Digital Archives -radio and television broadcasts about Africville and the battle for compensation

Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections:

• Dalhousie's Institute of Public Affairs conducted detailed studies about Africville and the Relocation.  The Institute's research files are a rich source and are listed in a finding aid.

Library and Archives Canada:

• Ted Grant's views of Africville, 1965 (R11502-0-1-E) National Film Board photojournalist's images of Africville
• David S.H. MacDonald's Early Church and Ministry file on Africville (R12287-1-8-E) United Church minister's file.

National Film Board of Canada:

• Remember Africville, 1991 documentary directed by Shelagh Mackenzie

Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management:

• Bob Brooks photographs of Africville, 1962-1965  Gone But Never Forgotten -  virtual exhibit of 60 images by photojournalist Bob Brooks
• African Nova Scotians in the Age of Slavery and Abolition - on-line exhibit
• Africville Genealogical Society records: (folder of correspondence and notices, 1981-1983 (MG 20 vol. 1290 no. 4)
• maps, photographs, newspaper articles

Vaughan Memorial Library - Acadia University - Atlantic Baptist Archives hold the records of the African United Baptist Association, but unfortunately no records from Africville's Seaview Baptist Church are known to have survived.

For more details on any of this material, contact the Municipal Archives.