Protesting and demonstrating in Toronto is a vital exercise of fundamental rights, and is protected under Section 2(c) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms– coming right after Freedom of expression 2 (b) and before Freedom of Association 2(d). These rights guarantee the ability to put words into action, together.

Toronto continues to impose bureaucratic barriers — like detailed forms, notice requirements of 10 days or more, and consultation processes — that already constrict these freedoms. More recently, the City of Toronto has circulated a Public Consultation for a Proposed Demonstrations Bylaw to Protect Vulnerable Institutions which chips further away at charter rights affecting the ability to protest, rally and create vigils.

These vulnerable institutions listed — child care centres, schools, places of worship, libraries, recreation facilities, and civic or cultural centres — may be considered vulnerable not simply because a protest, rally, or vigil might take place nearby, but rather because of a range of broader systemic issues– issues that are not addressed by further constricting charter rights. 

Long Time Comin’ (1993) follows the friendship of musician and activist Faith Nolan and multi-disciplinary artist and activist Grace Channer. Directed by Dionne Brand, the poet and novelist, this documentary foregrounds the Black, feminist, lesbian liberation movements, including their peaceful protests, in the early 1990s on these very same streets of so-called Toronto, Canada. Taking its title from a lyric sung by Faith, “It’s been a long time comin’…” This program takes the second half of that lyric as its title “…long time here.” The song continues:

No jobs
No schools
Ain’t no hope for the future here
It’s been a long time comin’, a long time here… 

Equal parts concert, art exhibition, table talk, and rally, Long Time Comin’ breathes life into and sets the tone for the way movement work is depicted today. Both Grace and Faith speak to their connection—with each other and to the queer community—as a sustaining force. The film is an early effort to share this ongoing practice in real time, documenting the lives, communities, and creative work of the Black women groups that have long been at the forefront of movements for liberation. Guided by Faith’s music and performances alongside Grace’s paintings and sculptures, the film presents a reflection on collective efforts to combat racism, sexism, homophobia, and intergenerational poverty of the early 1990s that still, in 2025, anchor contemporary conversations, our tools mirroring their’s.

Dionne Brand has since stated that she does not write toward anything called justice, but rather against tyranny—a distinction that speaks to the complexities of power, resistance, and the limitations of institutionalized justice. The film program Long Time Here underscores how the labour of queer Black women has been central to these struggles, while leading us all to the unfinished work of liberation. Though the social and political landscape has shifted in some ways, the film remains a vital document, offering insight into the networks of care, organizing, and artistry that have shaped Toronto’s activist histories, as well as the importance of communion, laughter, and joy in continued efforts against tyranny.

Program Details

Friday, April 11, 2025
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Curated by Jaclyn Quaresma
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Work by Dionne Brand
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Images Festival, Toronto
Co-Presented with NFB and Women and Gender Studies, University of Toronto

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Dionne Brand, Long Time Comin’, 1993. Canada | 1993 | Digital | 52 min | English with English subtitles. Image courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.

Faith Nolan and Grace Channer, two African-Canadian lesbian artists, give back to art its most urgent meanings—commitment and passion. Grace Channer’s large and sensuous canvases and musician Faith Nolan’s gritty and joyous blues propel this documentary into the spheres of poetry and dance. Long Time Comin’ captures their work, their urgency, and their friendship in intimate conversations with both artists.