IKEA Canada partners with Africville Museum to host immersive exhibit in Halifax
The month–long Black History Month installation brings the stories and legacy of Africville into an accessible community space at IKEA Halifax.
BURLINGTON, ON, Feb. 5, 2026 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada is proud to partner with the Africville Museum to host A Walk Through Africville at IKEA Halifax throughout February. The travelling exhibit will be featured in the store's community space, offering customers and community members an accessible opportunity to learn about the history, resilience, and enduring legacy of Africville – a historic Black community with deep significance in Canada.
Nova Scotia is recognized as the birthplace of African presence in Canada. The province is home to more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities whose culture, heritage, and contributions have been a fundamental part of Nova Scotia's history and development for over 400 years. This rich legacy continues to shape the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the province today.
As part of IKEA Canada's commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, the exhibit invites visitors to engage with curated photos, artifacts, and storytelling developed by the Africville Museum. A Walk Through Africville will be on display at IKEA Halifax until February 28, 2026.
"Africville is more than a chapter in Black Canadian history; it is a national story about human rights, dignity, and the meaning of home," said John Williams, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Leader, IKEA Canada. "At IKEA, we design for life at home because home is more than four walls, it's where connection, community, and belonging are built. Africville's story reminds us that systemic injustice can strip away the foundations of home, but hope, resilience and community endure. We are honoured to host A Walk Through Africville and create space for reflection, learning, and belonging."
Located on the shores of the Bedford Basin in Halifax, Africville was home to a thriving Black community for more than 100 years before being demolished in the 1960s under the guise of "urban renewal." Its destruction displaced generations and remains a powerful reminder of systemic racism in Canada. In 2024, Africville was designated as Canada's first UNESCO Place of History and Memory linked to Enslavement and the Slave Trade, marking global recognition of its cultural and historical significance. The Africville Heritage Trust and Africville Museum continue to preserve and share this legacy through education, advocacy, and cultural programming.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to bring our exhibit into a space where thousands of people can experience it," said Juanita Peters, Executive Director, Africville Museum. "The installation allows visitors to connect with the people, culture, and history of Africville in an accessible and meaningful way. Partnerships like this help ensure that Africville's legacy of resilience, strength, and community continues to be shared with future generations."
IKEA Canada is a humanistic, values–driven company with a simple, enduring vision: to create a better everyday life for the many people. This vision extends beyond the physical aspects of home to embrace its emotional and cultural significance. Guided by the values of togetherness, caring for people and planet, and leading by example, IKEA Canada stands against systemic injustice and champions inclusion and equality. The story of Africville aligns with the company's commitment to confronting racism and inequality through meaningful action, underscoring that a better everyday life must include fairness and belonging for all.
IKEA Canada and the Africville Museum invite visitors to experience A Walk Through Africville at IKEA Halifax throughout February. The exhibit is free and open to all during regular store hours, and guests are encouraged to explore, learn, and reflect as they walk through this important piece of Canadian history.
ABOUT IKEA CANADA
Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer, offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA Canada is part of Ingka Group which operates 574 IKEA stores in 31 countries, including 15 stores and 11 Plan and order points in Canada. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 33.3 million visitors to its stores and 199.9 million visitors to IKEA.ca. IKEA Canada operates business through the IKEA vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people and does so through its local community efforts and sustainability initiatives. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit http://IKEA.ca.
ABOUT AFRICVILLE MUSEUM
The Africville Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a poignant, year-round interpretive center located in a replica of the Seaview United Baptist Church on the shores of Bedford Basin. It commemorates the vibrant Black community forcibly displaced in the 1960s, featuring exhibits, artifacts, and stories that highlight their resilience and the injustice of the site's destruction.
SOURCE IKEA Canada Limited Partnership
For media inquiries: Marisa Ferreira, Communications Business Partner, IKEA Canada, [email protected]
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