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THINK
Why would Viola Desmond break the rules on purpose to sit in the “wrong” section of the theatre?
THINK
How would you describe Viola Desmond’s actions? Would you consider it civil disobedience? Why, or why not?
DO
Read the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and describe what Charter rights would be violated if this incident were to occur today.
DO
Define civil disobedience.
Find other examples of civil disobedience in Canadian history, when perceived injustices have been challenged.
Details
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Historical Context
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- These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
- On November 8, 1946, police arrested Viola Desmond after she refused to move to the theatre’s “coloured only” section. She was found guilty of defrauding the government of one cent: the difference in sales tax between main floor and balcony tickets. The court fined Desmond $26.
- Built in 1913, the Roseland Theatre is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia. Its large neon rose became a landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre became the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it was converted to office and retail space.
These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
On November 8, 1946, police arrested Viola Desmond after she refused to move from her main floor seat to the “coloured only” section in the balcony. She was found guilty of defrauding the government of one cent: the difference in sales tax between main floor and balcony tickets. The court fined Desmond $26.
Built in 1913, the Roseland Theatre is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia. Its large neon rose became a landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre became the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it was converted into office and retail space.
These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre, where Viola Desmond was arrested on November 8, 1946, after refusing to move from her seat on the main floor to the “coloured only” section in the balcony. The following day, a court found her guilty not only of sitting in the “wrong” section, but also of defrauding the government of the one-cent difference between the sales tax for a main-floor ticket and the sales tax for a balcony ticket. She was fined $26.
The Roseland Theatre is in New Glasgow, which is located on Nova Scotia’s north shore, 165 kilometres northeast of Halifax. It is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia, originally built in 1913 to screen silent movies.
The original three-storey brick building boasted a large marquee and two display windows that advertised coming attractions. The Dark Mirror, an American psychological thriller, was playing on the night of Viola Desmond’s arrest.
The large neon rose on the theatre became a town landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre was converted into the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it became office and retail space.
- These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
- On November 8, 1946, police arrested Viola Desmond after she refused to move to the theatre’s “coloured only” section. She was found guilty of defrauding the government of one cent: the difference in sales tax between main floor and balcony tickets. The court fined Desmond $26.
- Built in 1913, the Roseland Theatre is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia. Its large neon rose became a landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre became the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it was converted to office and retail space.
These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
On November 8, 1946, police arrested Viola Desmond after she refused to move from her main floor seat to the “coloured only” section in the balcony. She was found guilty of defrauding the government of one cent: the difference in sales tax between main floor and balcony tickets. The court fined Desmond $26.
Built in 1913, the Roseland Theatre is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia. Its large neon rose became a landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre became the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it was converted into office and retail space.
These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre, where Viola Desmond was arrested on November 8, 1946, after refusing to move from her seat on the main floor to the “coloured only” section in the balcony. The following day, a court found her guilty not only of sitting in the “wrong” section, but also of defrauding the government of the one-cent difference between the sales tax for a main-floor ticket and the sales tax for a balcony ticket. She was fined $26.
The Roseland Theatre is in New Glasgow, which is located on Nova Scotia’s north shore, 165 kilometres northeast of Halifax. It is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia, originally built in 1913 to screen silent movies.
The original three-storey brick building boasted a large marquee and two display windows that advertised coming attractions. The Dark Mirror, an American psychological thriller, was playing on the night of Viola Desmond’s arrest.
The large neon rose on the theatre became a town landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre was converted into the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it became office and retail space.
Summary
- These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
- On November 8, 1946, police arrested Viola Desmond after she refused to move to the theatre’s “coloured only” section. She was found guilty of defrauding the government of one cent: the difference in sales tax between main floor and balcony tickets. The court fined Desmond $26.
- Built in 1913, the Roseland Theatre is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia. Its large neon rose became a landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre became the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it was converted to office and retail space.
Essential
These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
On November 8, 1946, police arrested Viola Desmond after she refused to move from her main floor seat to the “coloured only” section in the balcony. She was found guilty of defrauding the government of one cent: the difference in sales tax between main floor and balcony tickets. The court fined Desmond $26.
Built in 1913, the Roseland Theatre is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia. Its large neon rose became a landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre became the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it was converted into office and retail space.
In-Depth
These three seats are from the Roseland Theatre, where Viola Desmond was arrested on November 8, 1946, after refusing to move from her seat on the main floor to the “coloured only” section in the balcony. The following day, a court found her guilty not only of sitting in the “wrong” section, but also of defrauding the government of the one-cent difference between the sales tax for a main-floor ticket and the sales tax for a balcony ticket. She was fined $26.
The Roseland Theatre is in New Glasgow, which is located on Nova Scotia’s north shore, 165 kilometres northeast of Halifax. It is one of the oldest movie theatre buildings in Nova Scotia, originally built in 1913 to screen silent movies.
The original three-storey brick building boasted a large marquee and two display windows that advertised coming attractions. The Dark Mirror, an American psychological thriller, was playing on the night of Viola Desmond’s arrest.
The large neon rose on the theatre became a town landmark. In the 1990s, the theatre was converted into the Roseland Cabaret nightclub; in 2015, it became office and retail space.