Harry Gairey: Champion of Civil Rights and Community Builder
1898–1993
Prospect Cemetery
Section 40 Lot 645
Harry Ralph Gairey born in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, became one of Toronto’s most influential civil rights advocates. Arriving in Canada in 1914, Gairey worked for the Grand Trunk Railway and later the Canadian Pacific Railway as a sleeping car porter, a job that was one of the few open to Black men at the time. Experiencing systemic discrimination, Gairey helped organize the Canadian chapter of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in the 1940s, fighting for fair wages and working conditions.
His activism extended beyond labour rights. In 1945, after his teenage son was denied entry to a Toronto skating rink because of race, Gairey’s appeal to City Council led to Toronto’s first anti-discrimination ordinance in 1947, a landmark in Canadian civil rights history. Inspired by influential Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey, Gairey co-founded the Negro Citizenship Association, which successfully lobbied Ottawa to dismantle racist immigration laws. He was part of the historic 1954 delegation to Parliament Hill, demanding equal immigration rights for Black British subjects.
After retiring in the 1960s, Gairey established Toronto’s first West Indian community centre and continued advocating for racial equality well into his 90s. Known as the “Grandfather of Toronto’s Black Community,” he received the Order of Canada (1986), Order of Ontario (1987) and Order of Distinction (Jamaica). In 1996, the skating rink in Alexandra Park was named in his honour.
Harry Gairey died in his 99th year on October 23, 1993, leaving a legacy of justice and inclusion that transformed Canada.
Sources:
• Harry Gairey – Wikipedia
• Museum of Toronto – Harry Gairey Exhibit
• Governor General of Canada – Order of Canada Recipient Page (Harry Gairey)
