Brunswick Cornwallis Pre-School Legacy Project
Sheryl Grant, Ann Verrall
This project includes a series of films including Mothers of Disruption, community engagement events and an exhibit at the Black Cultural Centre in Cherry Brook Nova Scotia. All projects are created in collaboration with journalist Sheryl Grant and the former teachers of the BCPS.
The Brunswick Cornwallis Preschool Story work-in-progress documentary
It’s 1963. Birmingham, Alabama is on fire with the fervour of the Civil Rights Movement. In Washington, thousands are marching against racial injustice. Against the backdrop of the rising civil rights movement in the USA, here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada there emerges a new and radical project that helped transform race relations – an inter-racial pre-school set up as 50% Black, 50% white for students, staff and board. It was radical then, and it would be radical now. Emerging out of a history of segregation and inspired by the integrationist philosophy championed by Martin Luther King, it was an unlikely beacon of equality where a small group of mostly mothers, practiced healing the rift between races with love and understanding. The philosophy was simple: Racism hurts everyone – Black and white. This was Canada’s first Head Start program. Over the next 28 years, the Brunswick Cornwallis Pre-School transformed early childhood education in Nova Scotia.
The film tells the story of this unique approach to trying to end racial injustice against the backdrop of the evolution of the civil rights movement in Halifax during the 1960 – 1970s. With the use of animation and photo collage we see the preschool children moving throughout this unofficial segregated city, challenging the status quo. Beyond the preschool, both Black and white activists grappled with major changes impacting the Black community: the destruction of Africville, ‘Urban Renewal’, the lack of change in education, employment or housing. Through interviews with the former preschool teachers, (many of whom attended segregated schools), former preschool students, local historians, current educators and students studying ECE, we explore the legacy of the preschool. As this story moves through the transitions of segregation to integration to the surge in support for Black Power, and the rise of Africentric education, we ask: Where are we now with racial equity in education? What can the story of the BCPS teach us?
Former BCPS teachers Muriel Cromwell & Myra Bailey reconnect.
Former BCPS teacher Heather Hackett visits the building that used to be the segregated school she attended in Five Mile Plains with Sheryl Grant. Sheryl’s mother Lalia Grant also taught there in the 1940s.
BCPS Teachers Reunion at Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute May 27, 2022
The Process & the BCPS Teachers Group
After my mother passed away in March 2021, I began the process of searching for people who were involved with the Brunswick Cornwallis Pre-School and reached out to Sheryl Grant, the one person I still knew from my childhood in Northend Halifax. Together Sheryl and I connected with and interviewed the former BCPS teachers still with us. In May 2022 we had our first reunion of these women which included some of their daughters. Out of this meeting we formed the BCPS Teachers Group: Myra Bailey, Deborah Desmond (representing her mother Muriel Cromwell), Ardith Downey, Iona Duncan-States, Heather Hackett, Betty Strugnell as well as Sheryl Grant and myself. Over the next two and a half years we met almost every two weeks. Our goals were to share the BCPS photo collection with the community, identify the people in the photos and organize a 60th anniversary event. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, African Canadian Services Branch and the Black Cultural Centre got involved. The result was a 60th Anniversary Event and a permanent exhibit at the Black Cultural Centre.
We will be forever grateful for these precious years we – the BCPS Teachers Group – had as we brought this story into light. We laughed, ate, and shared. Deep friendship and love grew. We mourned the ones we lost along the way and celebrated our accomplishments. The journey to share this story is not yet over. We are continuing.
Left: BCPS Teachers Group – reading reports: L-R Ann Verrall, Sheryl Grant, Myra Bailey, Ardith Downey, Heather Hackett
Right: filming BCPS Teachers Group: Lyndell Hibbert, Ann Verrall
Myra Bailey, former BCPS Director and teacher reunites with Betty Strugnell, former BCPS student, Interim Director and Board Member.
BCPS group at EECD African Canadian Services July 14, 2023 photo by Michelle Colley L-R: Craig Smith, Deborah Desmond, Sheryl Grant, Ardith Downey, Iona Duncan-States, Ann Verrall, Heather Hackett, Betty Strugnell
Connecting photos with community
We set up a Facebook Group to begin the process of identifying the people in them. Binders of the photo collection were displayed at the Africville Reunion (July 2023), the 60th Anniversary Event and at New Horizons Baptist Church (Nov. 4, 2023). We did several media interviews including CBC’s Information Morning and Mainstreet as well as CityNews 95.7 CJNI-FM. Many of the children and adults have been identified but not all.
New Horizons Baptist Church Community event Nov. 4, 2023.
CBC Mainstreet, Jeff Douglas interview with Iona Duncan-States, Heather Hackett and Ann Verrall.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/racially-integrated-preschool-anniversary-halifax-1.7013980
Africville Reunion July 28, 2023: BCPS Display with Deborah Desmond, Betty Strugnell, Sheryl Grant, Myra Bailey, Heather Hackett, photo by Ann Verrall
Africville Reunion: Iona Duncan-States, Gail Johnson, Sheryl Grant
60th Anniversary – emcees Betty Strugnell & Craig Smith, photo Brandy Whitford
60th Anniversary Event, honouring the former teachers & board members
Joe Howe School
October 14, 2023
To commemorate the 60th anniversary we held an event at Joe Howe Elementary School in Northend Halifax, to honour the former teachers and board members. The event was emceed by Craig Smith (former student) and Betty Strugnell (former student, acting director and board member). A series of short videos based on interviews with former teachers/board members was shown and certificates of appreciation from the Black Cultural Centre were presented. The grand finale was the former teachers and Joe Howe music students singing together – United We Stand. In Heather Hackett’s interview she shares a very impactful memory from her time as a teacher. They put on a fundraising event for the preschool and it included the children and teachers singing together United We Stand. We wanted to recreate this momentous experience. Music teacher Caitlin Wilson taught the children the song. This video is reworking of one of the shorts shown at the event.
60th Anniversary – Ann Verrall & Darcelle Adams-Frank (African Canadian Services Branch EECD)
Lance Sampson at 60th Anniversary Event Oct. 14, 2023
60th Anniversary Event Oct. 14, 2023, former students look through photos: Robert Wright, Faith, Dawn and Nellie Adams
Lance Sampson interviews Heather Hackett for Racism Hurt Everybody
Racism Hurt Everybody
Episode of GeneratioNS: Black Memories of Nova Scotia
By Lance Sampson, created for Eastlink
24 min, 2025
GeneratioNS is a TV series that explores stories of Black Nova Scotians through the eyes of community elders, youth and their families. The day before the 60th anniversary event, we called Lance to let him know about it. Not only did he want to attend, but he asked if he could bring his crew and film. He also interviewed Heather Hackett and then Sheryl and Ann. Lance and his team also attended our next event at New Horizons Church. This material grew into its own episode and was augmented by our archival material and the videos created for the 60th anniversary event. Racism Hurt Everybody provides a window into the Brunswick Cornwallis Preschool story and Lance’s discovery of this unknown history.
Black Cultural Centre Exhibit
Responding to the Need: Early childhood Education in the African Nova Scotian Community
Over two years, the BCPS Teachers Group worked with Russell Grosse, Executive Director of the Black Cultural Centre, to create a permanent exhibit. Former BCPS student and author Craig Smith wrote the exhibit text, which officially opened on November 30, 2024. Since then, we have given presentations to visiting classes from Child & Youth Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University and the Africentric Early Childhood Education program at Nova Scotia Community College.
BCC exhibit – Iona Duncan-States & MSVU student
BCC opening Nov. 30, 2024 group: Sheryl Grant, Ann Verrall, Deborah Desmond, Heather Hackett, Iona Duncan-States, Betty Strugnell, photo Ariella Pahlke
