On September 19, 2025, the Consulate of Haiti in Montreal, under the leadership of Consul General Anès Lubin, held a ceremony to mark the 267th anniversary of the birth of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Founding Father of the Haitian Nation, born on September 20, 1758, in Grande-Rivière-du-Nord.

This celebration was attended by Anthony Dessources, Ambassador of Haiti to Canada, as well as numerous political figures, academics, community members, and members of the diaspora.

In an atmosphere of reverence and national pride, Ambassador Denis delivered a lecture entitled "Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Architect of Haitian Independence, or a Shattered Hope."

He highlighted the unique destiny of Dessalines, an emblematic figure of freedom, who led the troops of the Indigenous Army to victory against the Napoleonic army, before proclaiming, on January 1st, 1804, the independence of Haiti, the first free Black State in the modern world.

Emperor under the name of Jacques I, Dessalines undertook to build a sovereign and equitable society before being assassinated on October 17, 1806, in Pont-Rouge (north of Port-au-Prince). This tragedy brought an premature end to an ambitious national project and left deep fractures in our collective history.

His legacy extends far beyond Haiti. He inspired liberation struggles across the Americas, notably that of Simón Bolívar, who found invaluable support in his fight in Haiti.

Ambassador Denis launched a call for national revival : "If Dessalines returned today, he would weep tears of blood at the fate reserved for his legacy. It is up to us to find the path to unity, justice, and dignity."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45821-haiti-history-267th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-jean-jacques-dessalines.html

HL/ HaitiLibre