Members and friends of our congregation enjoyed a trip to this museum, an Ontario Heritage Site, that highlights the life of Josiah Henson. Henson was a remarkable enslaved Black man who escaped from the U.S. with his family, eventually making his way to Dresden, where he established a thriving community for other enslaved Black people who escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Henson went back to the U.S. many times helping 118 known enslaved people cross over to Canada! He is known to be the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Sixty people expressed interest in this trip; 43 people (four children, one teenager, and 38 adults, 17 of whom were Seniors including our notable centenarian, Val Ramsey) were able to eventually take advantage of this free excursion. Many of these 60 people also took advantage of a Resource Library which had been made available by Tim Versteeg. This collection of nine resources will be available in a special collection in our church library.
This trip, a collaborative effort between the CYRE and 8th Principle Teams, was the inspiration of Tim Versteeg and Rev. Jamie. It was made possible by an Anti-Hate Grant which our church Board had received from the Ontario government. The implementation team (Tanya Collins, Pat Dickinson, Mary Eve and Janice Webster) took over from Tim to make all the final arrangements. A BIG thank you goes to Mary Eve and Janice Webster for making it all happen. An evaluation of this trip is planned. More information to follow!