Although Mathieu da Costa is the first recorded free black person in Canada and was a member of the exploring party of Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts, and Samuel de Champlain in Nova Scotia in the early 1600’s, the current Black community can trace its ancestry to the Black Loyalists who came to Nova Scotia after the American War of Independence with a promise of freedom and land in exchange for their bearing arms with the British forces and pledging their loyalty to the Crown.
More than 3,000 Black Loyalists came to Nova Scotia following the British defeat in 1783, settling in Birchtown, Digby, Guysborough County, Annapolis Royal, Preston, and Halifax. By 1785, most Black Loyalist communities had established independent black churches and many also had their own schools. However, the Black Loyalists were consistently denied land grants and exploited as a source of free labour by the provincial government. Disillusioned with their experience in Nova Scotia, over one third of the Black Loyalists opted to resettle in Sierra Leone in 1792. Included in this number were the majority of the black teachers, preachers, and leaders, leading to the disruption of Black Loyalist communities and institutions. 1
Key Historical Milestones
• Origins (1780s): The communities of Jordantown, Acaciaville, and Conway were settled by Black Loyalists and Black Pioneers who were promised land and freedom after the American Revolutionary War.
• Formation (1970s): In May 1970, residents met to address pressing needs in education, housing, and employment. The organization was incorporated as the Acaciaville Conway Betterment Association in 1971 (often cited as 1973).
• Renaming (2013): The organization was officially renamed to the Jordantown-Acaciaville-Conway Betterment Association (JACBA) to better represent all three communities.
• Human Rights Action (2008 -2011): Due to systemic racism in education and economic marginalization, the association (via the Digby Education Committee) filed a human rights complaint in 2008 with (NSHRC) Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission resulting in a successful settlement agreement in 2011.
• Center of Excellence (2018-2025): To foster economic and social development, the association developed a 14,000+ sq. ft. Center of Excellence in Acaciaville, which opened in late 2025.
Purpose and Impact
• Focus Areas: Education, employment, housing, and social/recreational activities.
• Programs: The association hosts senior/youth programs, veterans’ commemorations, and cultural, educational and economic initiatives.
• Significance: JACBA acts as a voice for the community, promoting equity and preserving the heritage of African Nova Scotians in the region
Lindsay van Dyk, Shaping a Community: Black Refugees in Nova Scotia, Canadian Museum of Immigration
November 19, 2020.