Black Settlement in Oro Township

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted June, 2004

Photo by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted December, 2009

Plaque Location

The County of Simcoe
The Township of Oro-Medonte
On the north side of Shanty Bay Road/Ridge Road West (Road 20)
east of Barrie, 3.3 km east of Blake Street (Road 93)

Coordinates: N 44 23.906 W 79 37.383

Plaque Text

The only government-sponsored Black settlement in Upper Canada, the Oro community was established in 1819 to help secure the defence of the province's northern frontier. Black veterans of the War of 1812 who could be enlisted to meet hostile forces advancing from Georgian Bay were offered land grants here. By 1831, nine had taken up residence along this road, called Wilberforce Street after the renowned British abolitionist. Bolstered by other Black settlers who had been attracted to the area, the community soon numbered about 100. The settlement eventually declined, however, as farmers discouraged by the poor soil and harsh climate gradually drifted away. Today only the African Episcopal church erected near Edgar in 1849 remains as a testament to this early Black community.

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Posted August 3, 2011
I have been searching for this plaque and with the help of this page, I finally found the site. But no sign of the plaque nor the ferns that appear in the picture which explains most of my difficulty in locating it. The trees to the left in the picture and the poles to the right assured me that the location was correct. Also, there are small signs across the road identifiying this location and the African Methodist church location. The signs are almost hidden by leaves on nearby trees. So what happened to the plaque? Oro Township merged with Medonte Township and it is now collectively Oro-Medonte Township. Was the plaque removed to make this change? The location is on the north side of Ridge Road between Line 1 South and 5/6 Sideroad almost opposite 3025 Ridge Road.

Posted March 31, 2011
Drove out to this spot today, but no plaque or even a posthole is evident. Could it have been removed to change the wording?

Posted December 2, 2010
Is writer 'tmc' (below) suggesting "African-American" be used instead of "Black Settlement"? Either one works, but I'm not sure how one gives more respect than the other. 'African-American' references a continent (Africa) and either a hemisphere (Americas) or another continent (N. America), and so would include the Caribbean, Canada, and the US. 'African-Canadian' is, I suspect, a reaction to 'African-American' when applied only to Blacks in the US to the exclusion of others. That's an error. The term can easily cover both, just as Native American can. 'African-Canadian' and 'Native Canadian' invoke the idea of our modern nation, rather than a historical continental reference which I believe is meant. For more discussion, see entries on the Holland's Landing Depot plaque page. -Wayne

Posted September 11, 2010
Hello-- I am doing family reserach, which led me to Oro! My family goes back to Noah Morris, who was apparently sold the land for the African Methodist Episcopal Church. I am seeking anyone who is connected or has knowledge of the Morris family who settled in Oro. I had no idea I had Canadian roots, or how deep they were, until a few years ago! My email address is

Posted June 7, 2009
This plaque is a great testiment to the brave African-American veterans and free individuals who settled in Oro. However, labeling it "Black Settlement" does not give proper respect and recognition to African-Americans. The term "Black" merely identifies various cultural groups which include Africans-Americans, African-Candians and Caribbean-Canadians. This plaque should be changed to properly identify the brave group of people who immigrated here so long ago.

Posted September 23, 2008
I am looking into family history of a friend, the settler was Wm. Davenport. If anyone has info, please send to

Posted July 18, 2008
I am a desendent of James P. Bush of Oro county, trying to get in contact with any one who gets this comment. My name is James Bush of St. Catharines, Ontario. My email address is

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