Upcoming Black History in Ontario Events 2018 is shaping up as an exciting year for Black History events in the region. We thought we'd share several upcoming events, a couple of which have some interesting archaeological connections. Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center Grand Opening When: May 4 - May 12, 2018 Where: 825 Depot Avenue West, Niagara Falls, New York 14305 On Sunday, May 6, 2018, archaeologist, historian and award-winning author Karolyn Smardz-Frost will be speaking about her recent research on the Cataract Hotel and its connections to the story-line of her new book Steal Away Home, a biography of Cecelia Reynolds. The Cataract Hotel was an important stop on the Underground Railroad and where Cecelia and many other freedom-seekers made their way to Canada. In 2015, Timmins Martelle…

[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget"][/siteorigin_widget]   The plain, wood framed, vernacular style, residential cottage sitting upon the lot at 275 Thames Street, London, Ontario, was slated for demolition to make way for an expansion of the Aboutown Travel Services parking facilities. After the request for demolition was approved, groups of concerned and aware citizens began protesting and combating the order because they remembered the history associated with the structure; they remembered the building as the Fugitive Slave Chapel. History of the Slave Chapel The area surrounding London has an important, if often forgotten, association with 19th century Black heritage in North America. As one of the terminus points on the Underground Railroad, the population of former slaves was increasing during the early nineteenth century. As such, there are numerous points of local history,…