Dave Van Kesteren is proud of the tradition and history in his riding of Chatham-Kent—Essex

April 27, 2006

Link to the full debate:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/housechamberbusiness/ChamberPublication IndexSearch.aspx?retPublicationDocumentId=2153901

Mr. Dave Van Kesteren (Chatham-Kent—Essex, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, Chatham-Kent—Essex is a riding that is rich with tradition and history.

One of our most famous historical footnotes is that Chatham-Kent—Essex and surrounding area is the end of the underground railroad.

Between 1840 and 1880, one-third of Chatham's population was made up of people of African descent, a diverse society that included an elite class of free people of colour. Their resources, education and experience connected the area to a sophisticated network of abolitionists and enabled them to make important contributions to the community as a whole.

The Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society, the Dresden Community Development Association and the University of Ottawa are partnering to restore this lost history in a new project entitled, “Promised Land: The Freedom and Experience of Blacks in the Chatham and Dawn Settlement”. This project will create an accurate picture of black settlement and black contribution and will create a greater appreciation of the diverse backgrounds and talents of early black settlers.

I am proud of the tradition and history that our first black settlers brought to my riding of Chatham-Kent—Essex.