Cependant, notre histoire a aussi connu des moments sombres, des moments que beaucoup de gens essaient d'oublier, des moments où nos ancêtres ont commis des violations massives des droits de la personne—que je qualifierais de crimes contre l'humanité—je pense en particulier au honteux commerce des esclaves qui a eu lieu à Halifax il y a deux cents ans ou encore aux actes barbares des puissances coloniales contre les peuples autochtones d'un océan à l'autre.
But we have our dark moments in our history, moments which many try to forget, moments when our forefathers and foremothers committed massive human rights abuses, which I would define as crimes against humanity. I specifically think of the shameful slave trade which took place 200 years ago in Halifax or of the barbaric actions taken by colonial powers against our aboriginal populations from coast to coast to coast.