Exhibit pulls back the curtain on Canada’s hidden history of slavery

Free travelling exhibition opens at Kingston City Hall’s Market Wing Cultural Space

A new travelling exhibition opening at Kingston City Hall aims to shed light on a lesser-known chapter of Canadian history.

Beginning Jan. 14, the Market Wing Cultural Space will host A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada, an exhibition 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 exhibit runs until May 22, 2026.

While Canada is often associated with the Underground Railroad, the exhibition explores more than 200 years during which Black people were enslaved in territories that later became Canada. Through biographies, archival documents and historical context, the exhibit examines who was enslaved, who enslaved them and how that legacy continues to shape society today.

The exhibition is presented across seven double-sided panels designed to encourage reflection and dialogue.

City curator Melissa Cruise says hosting the exhibit gives the community a chance to confront an overlooked truth in Canadian history and better understand the roots of anti-Black racism.

The exhibition is free to attend and is open Tuesday to Friday, noon to 4 p.m., at City Hall, 216 Ontario St.

Story by Alyssa Brush