Africville

There was a real community called Africville, and much of the awful tale of its destruction happened as I described it in Reparations. Former residents — in fact as well as in fiction — have filed a civil suit seeking compensation for the loss of their community. And a recent United Nations’ report really did urge the Canadian government to offer reparations to the displaced families.

Over the years, I've done a number of stories and columns about the struggles of Africville's former residents. Here are a few of them:

Column on the Carvery sit in
A May 1991 column about the Carvery brothers' sit-in
Irvine Carvery's a 'born optimist'
A 1994 profile of the former Africville resident who started the Afrciville Genealogy Society and launched the fight for recognition of the injustices done to them.
Irvine, the UN and the Hotliners
The local aftermath of the 2004 UN report on reparations.
Seaview Park church replica will honor memory of Africville
This Halifax Daily News column originally appeared on December 18, 1991. It is worth noting that by June 2006, the church had still not been built.
The compensation issue drags on
The city attempts to pressure the Geneaology Society. A column from March 1995.
Victor and Eddie's excellent adventure
The story of Irvine's brothers who staged a camp-in at the site of their old community to try and force the city to acjknowledge their grievances.