Government House - Where the right to liberty was adopted

Free to Gather

Sources: Toronto Public Library Digital Archive


Government House, 1834

From 1847 to 1849, Government House was the temporary home of the Toronto Normal School. The grounds were used to host a range of public events. 

Source: Toronto Public Library Digital Archive


Roy Thompson Hall, 2015

Roy Thompson Hall opened in 1982. It is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn choir, and the Toronto Defiant esports team. 

Source: Geo Swan, Flickr

Text version of the audio

This site was a location of Government House, the second residence of the Lieutenant Governor from 1815 to 1862. In the 1850s, it was only used as a residence intermittently and had become a place where public events such as the Provincial Agricultural Fair were held. In 1854 Government House was a location for Emancipation Day commemorations that took place after special church services at churches of various denominations and a street parade. 

Slavery Abolition Act

Emancipation Day marked the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act on August 1, 1834, which abolished slavery in most British colonies, including Canada, and made Canada a place of freedom for freedom seekers from the United States. This annual cultural tradition attracted dozens and hundreds of Black Canadians, and Black people from the United States, Caribbean, and Britain, and some white supporters to different towns and cities, including Toronto.

The afternoon included a grand banquet and a lineup of performances and speakers. One of the people who addressed the assembled crowd in 1854 was Mary Ann Shadd Cary. There are no known records of what she said, but she likely solicited subscriptions and support for the Provincial Freeman and touched on the anti-slavery movement. The night was capped off with fireworks displayed, accompanied by a band.  

Extract of
Tracing Mary Ann Shadd Cary's Footsteps in Mid-19th C. Black Toronto

Tracing Mary Ann Shadd Cary's Footsteps in Mid-19th C. Black Toronto image circuit

Presented by : Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon, York University
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