Rosie Awori – Local Journalism Initiative.
This October, a group of students from Pierrefonds Community High School will travel more than 800 kilometres to Dresden, Ontario, and educators hope the journey will take them much further than geography. The school’s three-day Freedom Journey into Our Canadian History, scheduled for Oct. 15 to 17, has been designed to immerse students in one of the most significant yet often overlooked chapters of Canadian history while encouraging them to reflect on the legacy of those who fought for freedom, equality and opportunity.
For many of the students, it will be their first opportunity to travel outside the Montreal region. While they have studied the Underground Railroad and Black Canadian history in the classroom, visiting the places where those events unfolded offers an opportunity to understand history in a way that textbooks alone cannot provide.
“Dresden was chosen because it tells a uniquely Canadian story,” the organizers explained. “It allows students to see how people who had escaped slavery built communities, established schools and churches, created businesses, and laid the foundation for future generations.”
Located in southwestern Ontario along the Sydenham River, Dresden became one of the best-known destinations for freedom seekers escaping slavery in the United States during the nineteenth century. Beginning in the 1840s, the town became home to the Dawn Settlement, one of the largest and most successful Black settlements in Canada.
The settlement was led in part by the Rev. Josiah Henson, who escaped slavery in Maryland before making his way to Upper Canada. Rather than viewing freedom as the end of their struggle, Henson and other settlers built a thriving community centred on education, skilled trades, agriculture and faith. Families established farms, operated sawmills and workshops, opened schools and churches, and demonstrated that newly freed people could build prosperous and self-sustaining communities despite the enormous obstacles they faced. For organizers, these stories offer students a broader understanding of Canadian history and challenge the misconception that the struggle for civil rights occurred only in the U.S.
The opportunity, however, comes with a financial challenge. The cost of the three-day excursion is approximately $500 per student, covering transportation, accommodations, meals, and admission to museums and historic sites. School staff are working to ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent interested students from participating and are appealing to community members, alumni, businesses, and organizations for support.
Community members wishing to support the initiative can make a tax-deductible donation through the Pearson Educational Foundation by selecting the Pierrefonds Community High School General Fund and indicating Freedom Journey. Donations may also be made by cheque payable to Pierrefonds Community High School with “Freedom Journey Trip” in the memo line. Contributions must be received by Aug. 21 to help ensure that every interested student has the opportunity to participate.
For more information, contact Pierrefonds Community High School at 514-626-9610 or email at dmaag@lbpearson.ca, wothello@lbpearson.ca, & dblake@lbpearson.ca.
