We will continue our history of surveying and the settlement of the surrounding townships but wanted to focus on Black History Month in this post.
Black citizens have been a part of our area since before the very first non-indigenous settlers arrived in the northernmost part of what was known as the “Queen’s Bush”. The Queen’s Bush was a vast, heavily wooded and largely unsurveyed tract in Upper Canada (Ontario) situated between Waterloo County and Lake Huron primarily in what is now Wellington County located in the traditional lands of the Mississauga and Six Nations indigenous people. Some of these early pioneers were born in Canada, while others had only recently slipped the bonds of slavery in the Upper South (now United States). After a long and arduous journey to freedom, the escaped slaves arrived to discover greater challenges awaited them. The Queen’s Bush area saw over 1,500 Black settlers establish communities despite facing significant, often hostile, racial prejudice and land ownership challenges. Amongst its earliest pioneers were both free Black citizens and fugitive slaves, seeking to establish a community for themselves away from bounty hunters and common prejudice. They knew they were squatting illegally on the land, but as it was not yet surveyed, they could not purchase it. By 1843 about 66,000 acres of the Queen’s Bush were surveyed and mapped and although the government planned on giving the settlers the first right to purchase the land they had already cleared, it was offered to them at exorbitant prices and very few could afford to live there.

Ontario’s Southwest was the gateway into Canada for many freedom seekers via the Underground Railroad, the secret network of citizens who helped escaped slaves reach freedom in Canada. Owen Sound, then known as the Village of Sydenham, served as the northernmost terminus of the Underground Railroad from 1830 to 1865, providing a final safe haven for freedom seekers. Hundreds of formerly enslaved people settled there to build new lives, contributing to the area’s growth. Due to its distance from the U.S. border, Owen Sound offered significant safety following the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, acting as a final destination. By the 1860s, most residents of the Queen’s Bush had been forced to sell their farms and move on. Some joined the Union Army during the American Civil War, and others travelled south in search of family following the Emancipation Proclamation. Many resettled in larger Black communities across Ontario, including Berlin (Kitchener), Buxton, Guelph, Owen Sound, St. Catharines, and Toronto.

Today, the story of the Queen’s Bush Settlement stands as a powerful testament to perseverance, self-determination, and community. Despite hardship and systemic injustice, its Black settlers built a thriving, self-sustaining society grounded in hope and faith. Their legacy continues to shape the spirit of this land and reminds us that the pursuit of freedom and belonging can leave an enduring mark on history.

If you want to learn more, here are just a few of the many websites you can check out.

https://greyroots.com/story/black-history-grey-county
https://blackpastinguelph.com/
https://heartsopenforeveryone.ca/black-settlers/
https://gem.cbc.ca/black-life-untold-stories/s01