A scene during the programme
The official opening ceremony for the Sankofa Day Celebrations took place on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at the Sankofa Square, Toronto – Canada, formerly Yonge Dundas Square.
The day and change of name from Yonge Dundas Square to “Sankofa Square” is very significant to the history of Ghana as it marks the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
The change of name is as a result of a two-year consultation process led by the Toronto City’s Recognition Review Community Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising black and indigenous leaders, residents and business owners. The process to rename the iconic square in Toronto’s downtown core was precipitated by a petition claiming that its namesake, Henry Dundas, a Scottish politician from the 1770s to the early 1800s was a major proponent in delaying the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Following two years of community consultation, research and discussion, the Toronto City’s Recognition Review Community Advisory Committee reached consensus choice on the name “Sankofa Square” for Yonge Dundas Square.
Representing President John Dramani Mahama were the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie and the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson.
Speaking on behalf of the President, Ms. Gomashie stated that “the renaming of the Yonge Dundas Square to Sankofa Square is not merely a change of name, it is an act of remembrance and an act of reclamation and an act of reparations. It is a bold step towards justice and healing not just for the people of Toronto but for all Africans, at home and in the Diaspora.”
She further noted that “in renaming the Sankofa Square, Toronto sends a powerful message to the rest of the world that it is possible to face history with honesty, to dismantle legacies of oppression and commit to building an inclusive and equitable future. By choosing Sankofa, the city of Toronto affirms the importance of African heritage in the global struggle for freedom, justice and acknowledges the centrality of memory in the journey towards freedom.”
On behalf of the Canadian Government, Toronto City Mayor – Olivia Chow and Toronto City Councillor – Chris Moise expressed the desire of the Canadian Government to continue supporting the project and maintain the cordial diplomatic relations between both countries.
On behalf of the CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mrs. Maame Efua Houadjeto, the team from GTA comprising Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs and Sena Sadat Abdulai, Project Officer at the Office of the CEO, took the opportunity to promote and market Ghana as a destination of choice to Canadians, tourists, foreigners, diasporans and people of African descent.