Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to recognize a great man, Mr. Josiah Henson.
Born in Maryland, Mr. Josiah Henson worked as a slave for 41 years. In 1830, he and his family escaped to Ontario via the Underground Railroad.
After being employed for many years as a farmhand, Mr. Henson moved his family to Dresden in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and championed the establishment of the Dawn Settlement, which today commemorates Uncle Tom's Cabin Museum.
This settlement was established to provide a refuge and a new beginning for former slaves. It was through Josiah's leadership that one of Canada's first industrial schools was founded. It is where fugitive slaves were educated, trained and prepared for their new life of freedom.
At least 30,000 slaves escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. This was made possible by individuals like Josiah Henson. Let us never forget this man and others like him who stood against injustice and intolerance.