Junie’s debut book of poetry Eat Salt | Gaze at the Ocean (Talon Books, 2020) was short-listed for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Her second collection allostatic load (Talon Books) came out in April 2025. Junie is a mentor for poets at SFU’s Writers’ Studio and also teaches in SFU’s Leadership Essentials Certificate program.
Junie is in conversation with author WADE COMPTON. Compton expertly guided the conversation delving into Junie’s recent work and what inspires Junie’s writing and her books.
Watch the video of this event, provided by REP-HERE in Canada, videographer Tracy Guinchard
More about Désil and Compton …
JUNIE DÉSIL is of Haitian ancestry, born of immigrant parents on the traditional territories of the Kanien’kehá:ka on the island known as Tiohtià:ke (Montréal), and raised in Treaty 1 Territory (Winnipeg). Junie has performed at various literary events and festivals. Her work has appeared in Room Magazine, PRISM International, The Capilano Review and CV2. A UBC alumnus, a participant in Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio, and current UVIC MFA student.
Author and BCBHAS Keynote Speaker in 2024, WAYDE COMPTON hosted the evening. Wayde co-founded the Hogan’s Alley Society and Commodore Books, Western Canada’s first Black Canadian literary press. Wayde has published six books and has edited two literary anthologies.
An enraptured audience met and chatted with Barbadian-Canadian writer and author Jasmine Sealy. “The Island of Forgetting”, published in 2022 has received best book awards and won the 2023 Amazon Canada First Novel Award, and more. Caleb Hart released an album “Emancipation” in October 2024. He has been a much-loved performer at our events with his blend of gospel, soul, pop, rock, calypso, soca and reggae.
Hosted by BCBHAS Member, Madison Bridal
This BCBHAS Event was supported by the Government of Canada, Province of BC, and Pacific Opera Victoria (POV).
Watch the videos of this event, provided by REP-HERE in Canada, videographer Tracy Guinchard.
“VICTORIA’S BIPOC MUSIC & ART FESTIVAL”
Canadian and International Performers were on the main stage, plus the BIPOC vendor village, local food trucks, and live art installation. For all ages
In May 2023, after the close of the “Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum” exhibit, BCBHAS and Royal BC Museum entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that established a framework for continuing community collaboration.
On July 29, 2023, the replica Train Station in the Old Town exhibit re-opened with interpretive panels telling the story of the sleeping car porters. One excerpt reads, “The porters took up the fight to overcome the deep racism and explicit exclusion in the union movement and achieve equal union representation. Building on the work started earlier by Black trade unionists in Canada, they won recognition by founding the Order of Sleeping Car Porters, the first Black labour union in North America.”
The panels were created in partnership with BC Black History Awareness Society and Joshua Robertson, Hogan’s Alley Society and curator for the “Hope Meets Action” exhibit
BCBHAS celebrates Canada Multiculturalism Day to honour our cultural communities.
Canada Multiculturalism Day was officially June 27th but we celebrated early!
“MORE THAN A GAME” – a FREE-ENTRY, FAMILY-FRIENDLY event featuring basketball skills contests and games; in In partnership with The Grind Elite Youth Basketball Program
A record year for the Society – events and attendance. We hosted 6 public events and hosted a booth at the Vancouver Canucks Game on the 13th.
On the 15th we hosted the inaugural Black Entrepreneurs Dinner with 50 guests. The dinner took place at the University Club of Victoria with keynote speaker MERISSA ALLEN, President and CEO, Black Business Association of BC.
Our partners in bringing this BHM 2023 program to you were: Arts on View Society, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives- BC Office (CCPA-BC), Belfry Theatre, Global TV (media sponsor) HERE Magazine (Social Media) Old Cemeteries Society, Royal BC Museum and Archives, and Royal Bank of Canada.
THE FUNCTION FESTIVAL took place at Ship Point, Victoria. All ages were welcomed. THE FUNCTION is one of the NEWEST festivals in downtown Victoria and made its debut in a big way! Featuring one main stage, BIPOC artists, vendor village, food trucks, live art, kids’ zone & a barbershop! Yeah, that’s right – you could even get a haircut there.
The event sponsors were BC Black History Awareness Society in partnership with City of Victoria, CreativeBC, City of Vancouver, CFAX1070, PHILLIPS Brewing and Malting, Virgin Radio 107.3, and Media Sponsor CTV
A Canada Multiculturalism Day Celebration
We partnered with some of Victoria’s most dynamic cultural groups for this FREE event with FREE Entertainment and FREE food for Family fun! The event took place at the Cameron Bandshell in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria and featured cultural cuisine and performances representing Africa, the Caribbean, China, Cuba, India, The Philippines, and South America.
On June 11, 2022 the unveiling ceremony took place for this montage installed in the Mifflin Wistar Gibbs Study Room at the sxʷeŋxʷəŋ təŋəxʷ James Bay Branch, Greater Victoria Public Library.
In December 2020 we opened an online exhibit hosted by Digital Museums Canada (DMC). They now host over 500 exhibits, which includes a collection of Canadian Community Stories.
This Community Story about the Black pioneers who came to BC begins in 1858. It is a collection of 20 short stories with videos and archival images and documents to share their stories. In May 2018, we couldn’t have predicted that the opening of The Mifflin Wistar Gibbs Study Room at the James Bay Library would play such an important role in our project with DMC.
TODAY, we express our gratitude for our sponsors and in particular the creative talents of graphic designer Susie Jones, who has beautifully captured the spirit of the stories, the words, the images – and this montage is now an integral part of OUR community story! About this project