Edward Roy Cassell Smith sometimes imagines his ancestors rejoicing in the balcony of the Salem Chapel, where freed slaves first came to worship nearly 170 years ago.
The small church in St. Catharines, Ont. – once the home congregation of abolitionist Harriet Tubman – has been a special place for Black Canadians for decades, says Smith, and renovations that are nearing completion mean it can soon share its history with others again.
The building is now in the final stretch of renovations that had been delayed due to the pandemic. Next month, work on the floors, stairs and windows, among other upgrades, will be complete and regular tours can resume not long after that, said church historian Rochelle Bush. The city and the church were significant locations for those who escaped slavery and arrived in the region, Bush said.
Conductors on the Underground Railroad, like Tubman, would tell the refugees to head to the Salem Chapel, said Bush. Chapel community members would then help the newcomers settle in, provide clothing and food, and find work. That same year, the federal government approved a $100,000 grant for the church. With further help from private donors and a GoFundMe campaign, Bush said the church has been able to renovate deteriorating parts of its building. It also upgraded security with the installation of cameras and a fence.
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