Adrienne Shadd (historian, curator and author)
Reflections on my hometown
In the year of the 150th birthday of Canada, I would like to pay tribute to my hometown. North Buxton started out in 1849 as a colony established by escaped slaves and free Blacks from the United States. One of the final stops on the Underground Railroad, Buxton occupies a small but rather unique tile in the Canadian mosaic.
Although older than Canada itself, Buxton – like the country – has an enduring legacy. Today, the museum that was created as our contribution to the 1967 centennial is now a National Historic Site and visited by people from all over the world. Our annual Labour Day homecoming celebrations will mark their 94th year [in 2017], and Buxton has been featured in numerous documentaries and dramas over the years. On a personal note, it is the place that nurtured me in my earliest years and instilled many of the morals and values that I hold dear: honesty, authenticity and the belief that one should treat all people with dignity and respect, no matter what their background or station in life. Mostly, I want to pay tribute to the farmers, labourers, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, ministers, artists, musicians, authors, curators, community volunteers and elders who have made Buxton such a special place and who have contributed in so many areas of life beyond.
Photos courtesy of Adrienne Shadd
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Adrienne Shadd
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