In honour of Black History Month, we wanted to highlight some historical connections of Black Canadians near some of our favourite hiking and camping spots.
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Episode Transcript
Hello and good day.
Welcome to the Super GoodCamping podcast.
My name is Pamela.
SPEAKER_00 (00:04):
I'm Tim.
SPEAKER_01 (00:04):
And we are from supergoodcamping.com.
We're here because we have amission to inspire other people
to get outside and enjoy campingadventures such as we have as a
family.
Today, in honor of Black HistoryMonth, we wanted to highlight
some of the historicalconnections of Black Canadians
near some of our favorite hikingand camping spots.
So parks in Ontario are richwith sites, not just provincial
(00:25):
parks, but generally speaking,parks in Ontario are rich with
sites that commemorate and inthe significant contributions of
Black Canadians through history.
Here are some notableconnections.
So if you happen to be campingor hiking in the Niagara region,
Queenston Heights Park isnestled high atop the Niagara
Scarpent.
It's got lots of hiking trailsand it's the southern end of
(00:47):
Canada's oldest and longestmarked footpath, the Bruce
Trail.
This park features a plaquehonouring the Coloured Corps of
1812 to 1815, which was news tome.
I was reading about thatyesterday.
I thought was fascinating.
The Colored Corps were alsoknown as Captain Runchie's
Company of Colored Men.
They were a militia unit thatwas formed during the War of
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1812, and they were composed offree and enslaved Black men,
many of whom were veterans ofthe American Revolution.
The Corps played a significantrole in defending Canada against
the American forces.
In 1812, freedom fighter RichardPierpont petitioned to Major
General Isaac Brock to establishan all-Black mission militia
(01:30):
unit and was declined.
The proposal later was acceptedbecause they were like, oops, we
don't have enough men.
So we'll take them.
And the captain, Robert Runchie,was the tavern owner from
Lincoln and was appointed tolead the unit.
And that quickly they recruited30 men.
The Colour Corps participated inseveral of the key battles, the
Battle of Queenston Heights inOctober of 1812.
(01:52):
They fought alongside theBritish and Canadian forces in
this battle and contributed toCanada's defence against the
American invasion.
The Battle of Fort George in Mayof 1813.
They participated in defendingFort George and participating
with bravery and resilience.
Fort George, just as an aside,our youngest as a scout has
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participated in reenactments ofthe War of 1812 at Fort George,
which is nearNiagara-on-the-Lake.
It was the home of the ColourCorps during the War of 1812.
So the contributions of theColour Corps set a precedent for
including Black soldiers inCanadian military units and
highlighted their role inshaping our nation's history.
SPEAKER_00 (02:34):
The Niagara area was a crucial endpoint for many
escaping slavery.
St.
Catharines in particular servedas the final stop on the
Underground Railroad forhundreds in the 1820s, notably
Harriet Tubman resided in St.
Catharines from 1849 to 1860,using it as a base to guide
(02:57):
others to freedom.
SPEAKER_01 (02:58):
Areas near some of the provincial parks in
southwestern Ontario, such asthose around Chatham, were
significant for having Blacksettlements.
Chatham became known as theBlack Mecca in the 19th century,
serving as one of the last stopson the Underground Railroad and
as a center for the anti-slavery
SPEAKER_00 (03:15):
movement.
The St.
Lawrence Seaway area, the...
Upper Canada Migratory BirdSanctuary Campground and many
other privately ownedcampgrounds are near Morrisburg,
Ontario, and Upper CanadaVillage, one of the largest
living history sites in Canada.
SPEAKER_01 (03:29):
Upper Canada Village maintains a permanent Black
history exhibit in ChryslerHall.
The exhibit highlights theexperiences and contributions of
Black Canadians in the region.
SPEAKER_00 (03:38):
Camping near Dresden, Ontario, Josiah Henson
Museum of African CanadianHistory, located in Dresden,
this museum celebrates the lifeof...
Josiah Henson.
Josiah was an abolitionist,minister, and author who escaped
slavery in the US and became akey figure in Canadian history.
After fleeing to Upper Canada in1830 with his family, he founded
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the Don Settlement near Dresdento provide refuge, education,
and vocational training forfreed slaves.
His 1849 autobiography isbelieved to have inspired
Harriet Beecher Stowe's UncleTom's Cabin.
Interesting.
Henson also traveledinternationally to raise funds
for for his community and becomea prominent advocate for Black
(04:23):
freedom and self-sufficiency.
SPEAKER_01 (04:24):
If you happen to be camping near Owen Sound,
Ontario, it is known as the mostnorthern terminus of the
Underground Railroad.
Owen Sound features the BlackHistory Cairn in Harrison Park,
and people of all backgroundsare welcome to attend the
Emancipation Festival andPicnic.
It's held annually since 1862 inHarrison Park.
It's the longest-runningemancipation picnic in North
(04:47):
America.
This festival began as a simplepicnic to observe the
anniversary of the British andEmancipation Act on August 1st
of 1834.
This act marked the end of theenslavement of African people
and their descendants across theBritish Empire.
SPEAKER_00 (05:02):
Camping in Ora Medante Township between 1819
and 1826, Ora Medante became thefirst government-sponsored
settlement for Black soldierswho fought during the War of
1812.
By living in the area, thesesettlers protected the region
from American invasion.
The settlers were alsoguaranteed freedom and
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protection from being enslaved.
At one point, over 30 blackfamilies were settled in the
area.
SPEAKER_01 (05:28):
So if you happen to be camping or hiking in Ontario
or state parks just across theborder, you have the opportunity
to learn more about theexperiences and contributions of
Black Canadians to Canada's richhistory.
That's it for us for today.
I hope you enjoyed.
Please do listen again soon.
We will talk to you again soon.
Please find us on all the socialmedia.
(05:48):
We're on YouTube, Facebook,Instagram, Twitter, and Blue
Sky.
And reach out to us by email ifyou want to talk to us.
We're athighsupergoodcampaign.com.
That's H I at super goodcampaign dot com.
We'll talk to you again soon.
Bye
SPEAKER_00 (06:01):
bye.
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