Montreal church celebrates 33 years since Nelson Mandela’s visit

One of Montreal’s most storied religious institutions marked two important anniversaries today at a spirited celebration in a Little Burgundy park.

Union United Church is Canada’s oldest black congregation.

The church celebrated its 116th birthday, and the 33rd anniversary of when none other than former South African president Nelson Mandela walked through the doors.

A vibrant procession left Union United Sunday morning, playing drums as it marched to Vinet Park, showing the community this was no ordinary day.

“It’s all about the long walk to freedom. We’re still taking that long walk to freedom,” said Rev. Glenn Daniel Gray of the Imani Family and Full Gospel Church.

At the park, hundreds of church members and pillars of the Black community came together for a moving musical celebration of their beloved church and the day Mandela visited in 1990, just months following his release from a South African prison after 27 years.

“I sang in the choir that day. Oh, it was fabulous,” said Union United Church member Gail Millington Grant.

“You couldn’t see Delisle Street because of the swarms of people. Just to be in the choir and to see him and his wife come, it was beautiful.”

Union United has always been a hub for the civil rights movement. Its leadership was a key part of Canada’s opposition to South Africa’s apartheid regime, advocating strongly for Mandela.

“I think he came to say thank you to Union for being part of his release,” said Erene Anthony, former chair of the board at Union United.

Former Justice Minister Irwin Cotler played a major role in getting Mandela to the church that day.

“It’s exhilarating every time I think back. And also painful to remember that this is a person who endured 27 years in a South African prison but was able to emerge, preside over the dismantling of apartheid,” said Cotler.

“I saw Mandela then and see him now as really being a hero of humanity, as the embodiment of the struggle for freedom.”

The community around Union United takes great pride in their church’s involvement in so many fights for justice and equality in its long history.

“This church has always been a beacon of hope for all of the congregation,” said Millington Grant.

Its history goes hand in hand with Montreal’s and Canada’s Black history, and Little Burgundy’s rich musical tradition.

Jazz legend Dr. Oliver Jones was on hand at the celebration.

“Oliver Jones, Daisy Sweeney, Oscar Peterson, they all came here,” said Millington Grant.

With Mandela as an inspiration, the vital community promises to be at the forefront of justice and faith in Montreal for many years to come.

2:45 Nelson Mandela Day: Why his fight for racial equality is still relevant