Kathryn Laframboise & Jonathan McPhail

The Black History Walking Tour was a multi-grade initiative sparked by students’ concern over the near loss of a historic building — home to Canada’s first Black labour union. Grade 10 students researched local sites significant to Black history and created lesson plans and resources to engage peers in grades 9 to 12. Each grade selected a site and wrote a script for the walking tour, which featured six topics ranging from slavery in the fur trade to Black excellence in sports and politics.

The project invited students to reflect on gaps in public commemorations and how these omissions shape our understanding of the past. By exploring how history is written and remembered, and connecting with community members with lived experience, students took on the role of educators and storytellers. The walking tour strengthened connections between students and their community by highlighting overlooked locations and sharing stories that might otherwise have gone untold.