Black History Month Highlight: Beverley Salmon

The below story is written by Susan Goldenberg from the North York Historical Society (NYHS). Learn more about the historical society HERE

“Trailblazer” is the word most used about North Yorker politician, anti-racism and

community activist Beverley Salmon (1930-2023).

She was founding chair in the 1960s of the Toronto Board of Education’s Black Liaison

Committee, promoting anti-racism training for teachers and Black Heritage studies.

In 1979 she became the first Black women appointed to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. In 1985 she became the first Black woman elected to North York City Council and served until 1997. She was vice chair of the Toronto Transmit Commission in the 1990s, and a recipient of

both the Order of Ontario (2016 and Order of Canada (2017).

“She was motivated by a desire to live in a place where all people could celebrate

their unique cultures and identities and have equal access and opportunities regardless of

one’s race, gender identity, sexual expression, ability or ethnicity,” her daughter Heather told the Toronto Star July 23, 2023 following Beverley’s death July 6 at ninety-two.

“Bev Salmon was an amazing leader. She fought for equality and for opportunities for

everyone, She was always very poised and very focused on bringing people together to do the right thing for the best interest of all,” Toronto city councillor Michael Thompson said. 

In her initial election campaign, in 1985, in North York, running in Ward 8, Salmon

focused on local traffic and building heights issues and urged more discussion between city

hall and community groups. Her first career had been a public health nurse and after elected, she worked to get pay equity for North York’s public health nurses with North York public health inspectors. The nurses, all women, received about nine percent less pay than the inspectors, two-thirds of whom were male.

During her 12-year council tenure, she also worked on issues including public transit

— she was vice chair of the Toronto Transit Commission in the early ’90s — affordable

housing, disability assistance, and spoke out about Toronto police “carding” people of

colour. She helped establish the first youth-focused emergency shelter in North York, Eva’s

Place, 1994. She chaired the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Action Committee on Race Relations.