St. Catherines, Ontario

Our first two days in Canada

Thursday, July 2

Several of us participated in a tour this morning of African American-related sites in Saint Catherine’s led by Lezlie Harper. Lezlie has helped coordinate all our activities in Canada. She’s done a ton of work on behalf of #FreedomWalk2026 and we are grateful for all she’s done. Lezlie owns Niagara Bound Tours through which she provides visitors with a unique insight into the migration of Black Americans as they escaped slavery in the mid-19th century and settled in Southern Ontario, Canada.

We arrived at Saint Catherine’s Museum, where we arranged to meet Lezlie and there was a gigantic ship in the Lock. This is not the Erie Canal. It’s the Welland Canal. This is the third Lock of eight on the Welland. The ship is HUGE! I was told it’s on its way to Detroit. The load it carries replaces 300 railroad cars or 950 transport trucks.

After departing the museum, our first stop was at Lake Erie. Lezlie grew up in Fort Erie. On the other side we can see Buffalo. This area included a significant black population. After the Civil War, Black Canadians mostly stayed away from white communities. Not the least surprising given their long, brutal history with white people in the United States.

She told us about the Niagara Movement Meeting in Fort Erie on July 12, 1905, when W.E.B. Du Bois and 28 African American men met at the Erie Beach Hotel. Over two days, this group wrote founding principles to fight for civil rights in the U.S. and laid the groundwork that led to the creation of the NAACP in 1909.

The name “Niagara Movement” came from the fact that Black people wanted to end racism as fast as the Niagara River flows, one of the fastest flowing rivers on earth.

We next stopped at the Bertie Street Ferry Landing, where Freedom seekers first came into Canada on steam engine ferries. The river runs very fast here, so they would need to push upstream hard to make it across. It’s near the Peace Bridge.

Canada abolished slavery in 1834. Prior to 1834, there were definitely bounty hunters in Canada looking for freedom seekers.

Josiah Henson, from Montgomery County, Maryland, came here to freedom. He was the inspiration for Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous book. Henson lived near the Colored Cemetery next to the church that used to be there. The cemetery is located near the former Little Africa community. Lezlie has ancestors buried here.

We also stopped by the church where Harriett Tubman worshiped when she lived in St Catherines. So many important sites that we would have loved to spend more time at, learning more of the history here. Our final stop was for lunch before we headed back to the museum. We’re grateful to Lezlie for the enlightening tour!

Back at the museum, there was a potluck meal prepared for us by the local Friends Meeting. It was finger foods like veggies and hummus and guacamole and fruit. I sat with Rob and Margaret and several people who joined us who were so interested in #FreedomWalk2026. I had some rich conversations about our experiences as well as about Coming to the Table and my own family history. We were also treated to some live music, which added to the specialness of this day. The potluck/conversations/music lasted a couple of hours and then we moved into a different room for the activation. Tony, Lynda, Kip and I all shared our stories, Wesley Wofford spoke about the Harriet Tubman statue he created, and then Lezlie shared about the tours she leads and the places we visited today.

Then it was back to Rob and Margaret’s. I rode with them and we talked all the way home. They really enjoyed the presentation. Back at their place, we enjoyed cups of tea and then it was bedtime.

I did not sleep well. I think I got maybe three hours of sleep. My mind was just kind of swirling with thoughts of the conclusion to this entire pilgrimage. So, I watched the end of the Dodgers game on my phone and they won. So, I guess that’s good under the circumstances.

And what they say about Canadians being nicer than people in the US? It sure feels true this evening. Rob and Margaret, and every Canadian I encountered today, were so kind and pleasant.

Friday, July 3

I gave up sleeping around 4:30 in the morning and worked on a new Substack post and downloading photos to clear up some room for the capacity on my phone. I had a lovely breakfast of oatmeal with raisins and cranberries and nuts and blueberries and strawberries. Rob and Margaret spoiled me. Did I mention they gave me their bedroom and slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room? I told them once again that I felt guilty about it, and they told me not to worry. It was their pleasure.

I packed my belongings and we shared a warm farewell in the lobby of their complex. Lynda pulled up at 9:15 and we began our 90-minute drive to Toronto. We talked about what we loved about this journey, and how our friendship had grown a lot as we have spent so much time together. It was quite a pleasant drive.

Mike and Maddie told us that Toronto is like New York City on steroids. I wasn’t exactly sure what they meant by that, but it became clear once I saw all the gigantic buildings there are and how many are apartments on Lake Ontario. It is definitely a big bustling city with challenges in finding any parking. I have no idea where they’re going to park the statue. But they’ll figure it out.

We parked in the parking lot for the Friends Meeting where we will be staying, but we are more than an hour early for the time we can check in at noon. So, we walked to look for some tea for me and a coffee for Lynda and a little something to eat. There is a small park across the street from the meeting house, and it has a swing set just for me. Obviously.

(I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this earlier, but when I walked the Camino de Santiago from France across Northern Spain in 2019, I was inspired by a woman from Ireland to always stop and smell flowers to stay connected to nature as I walk and always stop at swing sets to swing and stay connected to the child inside… and I continue these practices today).

As Lynda and I walked down the street looking for a place to get some coffee and tea, a woman sees us and we apparently looked perplexed. She said, “Can I help you?” We shared what we were looking for, and she told us there’s a Starbucks right up the street. “You can’t see it from here, but it’s right there.” She smiled. We talked for a minute or so about the beautiful blanket in the cart she was pushing. She lived right there on the corner. Just so pleasant and heartwarming. Did I mention how friendly people have been in Canada? I’m glad to be here.

I also heard a description I liked a lot better than “New York on steroids.” It’s actually “Manhattan with a smile.”

Lynda and I went to Starbucks, which she doesn’t support because of the owners’ opposition to employees unionizing. I bought her a coffee so she wouldn’t have to support them with her money. I had chai tea. Then we walked back and waited until noon when we could check in at the meeting house. The man who checked us in has been coming to this meeting all his life. He was very pleasant and told us he’s been part of this meeting since he was a child. His parents are members here. We walked up four flights of steep and narrow stairs to get to the third floor. We each have our own room. Lynda and I are across the hall from each other. Kip and Matthew have a room closer to the stairs at the other end of the hall, as does Tony.

I was going to take a nap but decided to take a walk instead. I headed toward Lake Ontario, not realizing it was almost 3 miles away. It felt really good to be walking by myself through this city. I’ve never been here before. I didn’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. It looks a bit like New York City (hence those descriptions above). Extremely tall buildings, hospitals, banks, and other financial institutions, and gigantic apartment buildings that look like they’re 70 or 100 stories tall. It took more than an hour for me to make it to the shore. Where I ended up was at the harbor. I couldn’t really see much of the gigantic lake itself. I’m still glad I walked here. I bought an ice cream cone in the harbor. It was a Matcha Strawberry Max and tasted good and was so refreshing. Then I walked to Whole Foods, which is just a couple blocks from where we are staying. I picked up some bananas, protein, bars, kefir, pomegranate juice and oat milk to last me the weekend.

When I got back, Lynda and Al were both here and we talked for a while. Lynda has been trying to coordinate a final dinner with as many of us who are still here. Al decided he’s just too tired to go. I was tired so wasn’t excited about going either but decided to do so mostly to have a final dinner with Lynda and the others who would join us.

Lynda was successful in arranging our dinner. She and I, Wesley and Odyssey, Jim and Simon, and Tony all met at a Korean restaurant downtown, right by where I had walked today. Lynda and I drove to meet the others at 7:30. We couldn’t find any on-street parking so went to a parking garage. She got a text that the Korean place had no seating, so we went to a sushi place instead. It was called All You Can Eat Kaka. They seated the seven of us at a table and the ensuing food and conversation were both wonderful. We talked about the journey, but mostly about the Harriet statue and the anonymous person who had purchased it. The one we are traveling with, which I did not know until tonight, is an exact replica of the one that sits in a private space in Dallas, Texas.

I was exhausted after so little sleep last night, so I was glad to get back and was in bed by 11. Lindi flew to the East Coast today to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren in Maryland. Next week she’ll fly to Michigan to visit her sister and mom. Tonight, it was clearly too late for us to talk. She did not respond to my texts. I’m trusting she’s happily asleep. Hopefully we’ll connect tomorrow.