City Hall’s Market Wing Cultural Space presents A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada

Beginning January 14, the Market Wing Cultural Space at Kingston City Hall will host A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada, a travelling exhibition created by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in partnership with Dr. Afua Cooper and the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia. The exhibition will remain on view until May 22, 2026.

For many, Canada’s connection to slavery is understood primarily through the Underground Railroad. A History Exposed brings to light a lesser-known history — the over two centuries when Black people were enslaved in the territories that would become Canada. Through individual biographies, archival records, and historical context, the exhibition explores who the enslaved people were, who enslaved them, and how this legacy continues to shape our country today.

Presented across seven double-sided panels, the exhibition offers a space for visitors to confront Canada’s history of enslavement and reflect on its ongoing social and cultural impacts.

“Hosting this exhibition is an important opportunity for our community to engage with a truth that has long been overlooked in Canadian history,” says Melissa Cruise, City Curator. “By acknowledging the realities of enslavement in Canada, we take a meaningful step toward understanding the roots of anti-Black racism and creating a more inclusive and informed society.”

A History Exposed was developed with guest curator Dr. Afua Cooper, one of Canada’s foremost scholars of Black history and enslavement, whose research and writing — including her landmark book The Hanging of Angélique — have shaped national conversations about race, history, and justice. Dr. Cooper emphasizes that recognizing the history of slavery in Canada is essential to understanding the full story of the nation’s development and to honouring the lives of those who endured enslavement.

This travelling exhibit created by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in partnership with guest curator Dr. Afua Cooper and the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia is Canada’s national museum of immigration. Through exhibitions, programming, and collections, The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 explores both voluntary and forced migration stories that have shaped Canada’s identity.

• Market Wing Cultural Space, City Hall, 216 Ontario Street, Kingston
• On view January 14 – May 22, 2026
• Tuesday to Friday, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
• Free admission

Please note: The exhibition contains images and text describing violence endured by enslaved peoples and documents with racist and colonialist language. Adults with young children may wish to preview the exhibition beforehand.

Visit the webpage for more information about the exhibition.