Black History Month is a time to honor the achievements of Canadian Black scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians. From centuries ago to the present, their contributions to STEM have improved everyone’s quality of life. -BY Shaniqua Thomas

Since 1996, February is recognized as Black History Month in Canada. It is a month to celebrate the Black Canadians who are pioneers, leaders, and innovators, improving people’s lives, driving the country’s prosperity, and using their talents and influence to advance diversity and inclusion. Though STEM is an acronym that has come into common usage fairly recently, Black Canadians over the centuries have been innovators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The following people are just a sample of the Canadians who have or are changing lives through their work in STEM.

Becoming the First

Anderson Abbott was born in 1837 in Toronto and became the first Canadian-born Black physician in 1861. He has a fascinating story rich in achievement and history. Abbott served in the Union Army as a civilian surgeon during the American Civil War. He worked at the Contraband Hospital at Camp Barker in Washington, DC, which cared for Black soldiers and freedmen and had Black doctors and nurses staffing the hospital. Serving in other hospitals over time, he attended a White House function and met President Abraham Lincoln. Sadly, he was one of the doctors who cared for the President after he was shot. Returning to Canada, he practiced medicine and became a vocal advocate for integrated Canadian schools. He also became surgeon-chief of Provident Hospital, which trained Black nurses, and them spent his older years writing on Black history.

Clotilda Douglas-Yakimchuk, born in 1932 in Nova Scotia, was the first Black graduate of Nova Scotia Hospital School of Nursing in 1954. She went on to earn a psychiatric nursing certificate, a postgraduate midwifery diploma, and a diploma in adult education. Working primarily in psychiatry, she spoke in her later years about some white patients refusing her nursing care. In 1988, she was the first Black person to be elected President of the Nova Scotia Registered Nurses Association. Shek was the founding President of the Black Community Development Organization, which advocates for affordable housing in low-income communities. Douglas-Yakimchuk received the Order of Canada in 2003 for her nursing and community involvement contributions.

Life Changing Discoveries

Dr. Juliet Daniel earned a Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of British Columbia. She completed a three-year post-doctoral research fellowship, during which she discovered the gene Kaiso. The gene is involved in cell proliferation and cell adhesion. After completing her fellowship, she became a full professor in the Department of Biology at McMaster University. Daniel has continued her research, specifically to identify genetic risk factors for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in women of African ancestry and is also studying the gene’s relationship to colon cancer. Daniel has demonstrated that the gene Kaiso plays a role in TNBC cells. Numerous prestigious organizations have recognized her for her work. Daniel co-founded the Canadian Multicultural LEAD Organization for Mentoring & Training.

Despite their significant contributions to science, many Black Canadians have only been recognized within their academic circles. Ernest Melville DuPorte immigrated to Montreal in 1911 from the British West Indies to attend Macdonald College and then McGill University. He was an expert on insect morphology, significantly advancing scientific knowledge through groundbreaking studies on Orthoptera, making Canada a leader in parasitology. His study of insects focused on their role in destroying forests and crops and transmitting disease to livestock and humans. DuPorte led the establishment of the Institute of Parasitology at McGill University in 1932. He gained international recognition only through his perseverance in overcoming racial barriers. By the time DupPorte retired in 1957, he had taught more than half of the entomologists practicing in Canada. He also authored what is considered a classic textbook titled Manual of Insect Morphology.

Technology Innovators

Alan Emtage is a Bajan-Canadian computer scientist. He earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in computer science at McGill University. Emtage developed the first internet search engine in 1989, named Archie, while a systems administrator in the university’s information technology department. His job was to find software for students and faculty members, which led to him writing search code to increase his search efficiency efforts. In 1992, he co-founded Bunyip Information Services, Inc., the world’s first company dedicated to providing internet information services through the commercial licensing and distribution of Archie. Emtage is the founding member of the Internet Society and chaired working groups at the Internet Engineering Task Force. One of the groups established the standard for URLs on the internet.

Heather Campbell has been working in the energy industry for three decades. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Biochemical and Chemical Engineering from Western University and a Master of Laws in Energy Law and Policy from the University of Dundee. Campbell is a licensed engineer and an independent adviser for Rev Innovations. For two years she served as the Executive Director, Clean Technology for Alberta Innovates where she led a team that supports innovation and research in carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration, bioenergy, hydrogen, circular economy, critical minerals, renewable and alternative energy, and emerging technology. Campbell strives to be a role model for Black women and actively champions inclusivity, diversity, and equity. She is a board director for Calgary’s performing arts center, Arts Commons, and serves in many other community volunteer roles. Campbell has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

Ensuring Canada’s Future

So many Black Canadians are striving to inspire Black youth to take advantage of STEM opportunities that will become available in the future. For example, Bryan Johnson launched Black Boys Code in 2015, a non-profit organization in Vancouver. It inspires young Black boys to develop digital literacy skills so they can become innovators and digital creators. There are now 12 local chapters in Canadian cities. There are Black Canadian men and women across the country who want to ensure that Black and other diverse youth can fulfill their potential. It is good for people and good for the country.