- North Preston, Nova Scotia
-
North Preston in Nova ScotiaNorth Preston is a rural community in eastern Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, in Canada. North Preston has a population of about 3,700 people.[1] The community is populated mainly by African Canadians. The community borders its sister community East Preston. The community traces its origins to the immigration of former African American slaves during the 18th and 19th centuries. Many[who?] have thought it was named after clergyRichard Preston, who set up 11 Baptist churches in Nova Scotia, and helped pass the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. However Richard Preston was an escaped slave from Virginia and took the name Preston from the community as Preston was where he was reunited with his mother as she had escaped slavery earlier in her life.
North Preston is served by a large elementary school, Nelson Whynder Elementary School. The community is also home to several community buildings, several churches, a day care, a medical centre, a volunteer fire department and several local businesses.[2] The church has been the spiritual centre of the community of North Preston for over 150 years.[3]
North Preston is also the oldest and largest indigenous Black community in Canada, as well as having the highest concentration of Black Canadians across Canada. It is the home of boxer Kirk Johnson and Canadian Idol finalist Kaleb Simmonds. It is also the home of Jason, "Baby J" Downey, a boxer who won a gold medal in the 2011 Canada Games 52 kg class.
Present day
Today, North Preston is a prosperous community having a high home-ownership rate, a stable population, and the community's ability to resist urban sprawl such as that occurring in other Black Nova Scotian settlements. The community also has a higher average income at $33,233 a year, compared with the average of $31,795 for Nova Scotia.[4] Despite that, however, the community remains relatively isolated from the rest of Halifax, in its rural setting. Some contemporary issues include a higher percent of lone parent families, higher unemployment rates for those aged 15–24 and a recent surge in gun crime. The Prestons have slightly more lone parent families at 19.8%, Nova Scotia's average is 16.9%.
An annual community festival and parade occurs every July, on a community event called North Preston Day. The event has been taking place every year on July 4. Many members of the community attend; the event is free and many special guests from outside of the community attend. In 2010, television personality Debbie Travis made a guest appearance to film part of her upcoming show All for One, which will air on CBC.[5] In future, the community will also be home to The Charles Taylor Hall Theatre Society in partnership with The Preston Arts Centre Inc., building a state-of-the-art arts & entertainment centre that will aim to seat 300 - 550. Slogan "Our Stories, in Our Voice" http://www.charlestaylortheatre.com/ http://www.thepac.biz/
References
- ^ http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ns/detach/halifax/northpreston-eng.htm
- ^ http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ns/detach/halifax/northpreston-eng.htm
- ^ http://rvh.socialwork.dal.ca/04%20Community%20Profiles/Halifax/profile2006hfx.html#pg15
- ^ http://www.gov.ns.ca/finance/communitycounts/profiles/community/default.asp?gnew=&table=&acctype=0&chartid=&mapid=&dcol=&sub=&ptype=geo&tid=&gview=2&glevel=ped&yearid=2006&gnum=ped43
- ^ http://live.haligonia.ca/halifax-ns/news-headlines/15218-video-debbie-travis-crew-spotted-in-downtown-halifax.html
- Abucar, Mohamed (1988). Struggle for development : the black communities of North & East Preston and Cherry Brook, Nova Scotia, 1784-1987. DAL Killam. ISBN 0-921201-04-4.
Coordinates: 44°44′39.7″N 63°27′52″W / 44.744361°N 63.46444°W
- Cultural Renaissance May 10, 2007 at novascotialife.com
Coordinates: 44°44′39.7″N 63°27′52″W / 44.744361°N 63.46444°W
Categories:- Black Canadian settlements
- Communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality
- General Service Areas in Nova Scotia
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
