Bridges Across Time will be screened for the first time in Edmonton this weekend. The executive producer and narrator of the film, Miriam Chimanga, joined CTV Morning Live’s Kent Morrison to discuss how this film traces the impact of Black Albertans.
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Kent Morrison: This all starts off with Amber Valley. Why is that settlement in Alberta so significant to the local Black community?
Miriam Chimanga: It’s very significant because it was the first settlement area that was given to the Black people that were coming from Oklahoma in the 1900s, when they first came from the Underground Railroad. It was not favourable at the time. It was very harsh weathers, but it was very significant because it was the first area, and they were like, “This is heaven.” They were thinking it was going to be a new hope for everybody that was coming from Oklahoma.
Kent: Who is in this film and what are the stories that we’re going to hear in this film?
Miriam: We wanted to showcase being Black in Canada because of the fact that we had Black African Americans that were coming from Oklahoma to come to Amber Valley. But, what is it like to be Black in Canada? So, we went to get the perspective of youth, of seniors, of politicians, of professionals, and mothers and women, so that we get that story of how we evolved from the time we arrived at Amber Valley.
Kent: Why is it important to combine the roots of a community that goes back a long time now in this province, to what people are experiencing today?
Miriam: It’s important because I think that we have evolved. It’s not the same as it was. I think the first Black people were like, “Who are these people, where are they coming from?” Then as they started leaving with the communities, they started getting used to different colours, and diversity was coming into that. We wanted to show that we are not in the negative. We know that sometimes in the olden days, it was very negative, but then we have evolved in the way that we can live together and have that diversity and culture for everybody. It’s very, very important to have this documentary in Alberta today and give it a distribution to everybody, so that we can talk about it.
Kent: For people who want to check this out, where can they come and find it?
Miriam: They can go to YouTube. Also this weekend, we are showing it at the When African Women Talk event on Feb. 8 in downtown Edmonton. We have a very big event celebrating Black History Month.
