November 4, 2020

Hansard

Brian Masse (NDP): Canada’s largest federal infrastructure project is the Gordie Howe bridge being built in my riding. The project will feature art representing the local history of the area. It will include European and indigenous art, but will unjustly exclude the historic and extremely important black community. This very location was the epicentre of the underground railway for escaping slavery to freedom. African Canadians are being written out of our history by the liberal government, a demonstration of systemic racism, will the prime minister commit right now, today, to make sure he fixes this problem, and he turns it around and includes the African black committee history. He can do it now, do we have his commitment to make sure it gets done.

Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau (LPC): Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his advocacy on this issue. It sounds like something we absolutely should be moving on. I look forward to talking with the infrastructure minister, and working with our first-ever minister for diversity and inclusion in the history of this country to ensure we’re doing everything we can to fight systemic racism, to fight against anti-black racism, and to make sure we’re properly remembering all aspects of our history, because black history is Canadian history, Mr. Speaker, not just in February but every month. We will continue to work together to make sure that we do that.