Was this church the most northerly stop on the Underground Railroad?

Oro-Medonte - I set off in search of the most northerly stop on the Underground Railroad, and I’m still not sure if I found it. About an hour north of Toronto, at the corner of the Old Barrie Rd and Line 3 sits a little log building which has served as the Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church for 160 years. Tourism literature says that it was built by black Empire Loyalists, and black settlers who were former slave families - which is why it is often referred to on the Internet and in tourism information as the most northerly stop on the Underground Railroad (a nework of people that helped and estimated 100,000 slaves escape to freedom.) However, a representative of local historical society says it was not actually part of the Underground Railroad, that some of the community were former slave families, but had settled elsewhere before arriving here. It is, he confirmed, on land that was set aside after the War of 1812 for members of regiment of Blacks known as the Coloured Corps, and it's importance to black settlers including former slaves has earned it recognitiion as a National Historic Site.

Where: The church is in an area known as Ontario’s Lake Country - a region of farms, lakes and rolling countryside, which begins just one hour north of Toronto. The area encompasses the northern area of Lake Simcoe and reaches west towards Georgian Bay, and includes Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Rama, Ramara, and Severn.

In the News: The church is normally only open Saturdays during July and August (it’s staffed by volunteers) yet this year on October 3, to celebrate the church’s 160th Anniversary, a special service & spiritual celebration will be held on the grounds, and it will be followed by a concert Gala nearby at Trinity Church. The concert will feature the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Canada’s premier choral group dedicated to Afro centric music of all styles, along with Tiki Mercury‐Clarke, Canadian jazz artist and 'keeper of African ancestral wisdom'.

This fall Ontario’s Lake Country is running a contest designed to encourage visitors to explore the region. Visitors who spend a night and have a passport stamped at activities ranging from tree-top-trekking to touring art studios have the opportunity to with five weeks next year at the Cottages at Port Stanton on Sparrow Lake.

Participating activities include visits to farmers markets, picking corn, family fun at a haunted barn, agricultural fairs, mountain biking, zip lining, shopping, the Rama First Nation Thanksgiving POW WOW, the Images Thanksgiving Studio Tour, Orillia’s Jazz & Blues Festival (Oct 15-18) and special three-course dinners at local restaurants for $20.10 (Nov 8-22). For getaway suggestions and more info on the region and The Cottages at Port Stanton Passport to Fun Contest visit www.ontarioslakecountry.com/passport or call 1-866-329-5959

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

More from Canada’s Coolest

'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:

• Golf Course Features
• Haunted Hotels
• Hotel Special Services

Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com

Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics: