For National Trust: Coordinates 44°39′29.42″N 63°35′19.84″W
Uniacke Square by Charles Stevenson and edited by Graham Nickerson
This area is one of the newer settlements in Nova Scotia. This settlement was created to handle the displaced population of the destroyed Africville. (Hamlyn, 2017) mentions that this area quickly became a low priority to the city of Halifax. Due to the ramped poverty and crime throughout the area, this place was eventually labeled as a “slum”. Although it was supposed to be a place that eliminated social stigmas it only would do the opposite.
The citation for Uniacke Square from Wikipedia highlights the current challenges for the Black community: gentrification. As the demographic patterns in the region indicate, Uniacke Square is now primarily non-Black, with an increasing number of White people and new Canadians. We may be witnessing another large displacement and destruction of the Black community already traumatized by the legacy of Africville.
Today, two-thirds of the residents of the Square are women, and two-thirds are under 25. The neighbourhood is highly diverse with a high concentration of African Canadians, Arab Canadians, and Indigenous people; the percent of African Canadians once accounted for the majority of the population.
The areas of Gottingen Street, Creighton Street, and Maynard Street surrounding the Square was traditionally home to a large middle-class African-Canadian population.[4] Many of them were small business owners, or working professionals. However, uncontrolled gentrification of the North End has changed the area’s demographics considerably.[5][4][6]
Uniacke Square supports a satellite police station, a parent resource centre, a small church and an office of the Salvation Army. Uniacke Square also has a community centre, The George Dixon Centre, named after the first Canadian boxing champion George Dixon, Centreline Studio a community based recording Studio and also home of the Uniacke Centre for Community Development
The unemployment rate in Uniacke Square is 26.4%.[7]
Demographics[edit]
| Ethnic group[8] | Population 2006 | % 2006 | Population 2016 | % 2016 | Population 2021 | % 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 490 | 61% | 350 | 44% | 275 | 32% |
| White | 212 | 26.5% | 327 | 41% | 351 | 41% |
| First Nations | 60 | 7.5% | 70 | 9% | 65 | 7.5% |
| Arab | 0 | 0% | 20 | 3% | 135 | 15.5% |
| Other ethnicity | 35 | 5% | 20 | 3% | 30 | 3.5% |
| Total Population | 799 | 100% | 797 | 100% | 856 | 100% |
As of 2016, 91.5% of the population speak English as their first language, 3% speak Urdu, 1.5% speak Spanish, 1.5% speak Vietnamese and 1.5% speak French.
The area of Uniacke Square is Dissemination Areas 12090344, and 12090345. This area covers 9 ha (22 acres) and has a population of 856 as of 2021.[9]
The unemployment rate in Uniacke Square is 26.4%.[10]
Reference
Hamlyn, K. G. (2017, June 7). What Do You Know About Uniacke Square Posse and Halifax Hip-Hop Circa 1988? – DarkOct02. DarkOct02. https://secreteast.ca/2017/06/uniacke-square-posse-halifax-hip-hop-1988/
Uniacke Square entry from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniacke_Square accessed August 27th, 2023
Image originally supplied via the Gottingen 250 project but can be found here: https://www.thecoast.ca/news-opinion/gentrifying-blackness-in-halifaxs-inner-city-13953475
