Today, not only are we talking about Canada’s longest and oldest continuous hiking trail, which stretches for 900 km from Niagara Falls north to Georgian Bay, but I’m also joined by Zwena Gray, the first modern Black woman to thru-hike the trail.

I say modern, because the trail has extensive Black history, and at least partially follows the route Black abolitionists and freedom seekers took north through Ontario after they entered Canada from the U.S. via the Underground Railroad.

One border crossing that was often used as part of the Underground Railroad is close to home for Zwena: Detroit. Zwena studies environmental sciences in Ontario now, but she grew up in Detroit, Michigan.

The more she learned about the legacy of Black history in southwestern Ontario, the more she wanted to learn and share with others. She came up with a plan for achieving this goal and called it the Black on the Bruce. In the name of Black on the Bruce, she hiked the entire trail over May and June this year with her friend Sima.

On episode 24, Zwena talks about the technical aspects of her hike, what she learned about Black history and Black joy on the trail, her favourite sections, favourite meals and so much more. To learn even more about Zwena and Black on the Bruce, follow her instagram @just.zee

📍I’d leaving out an important piece of trail history if I didn’t mention some of the people with the longest-standing relationships to the land the Bruce Trail runs along. Those are the Anishinaabek, Huron-Wendat, Tionontati, Neutral Nation, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and all the other Indigenous Peoples who provided stewardship of these lands for thousands of years.

Sources:

Detroiter aims to be the first modern-day Black woman to hike a Canadian Underground Railroad trail, Black Like Us

The Underground Railroad and Black history on the Bruce Trail, Toronto Bruce Trail Club

The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Centre website

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