'Today is about learning': OPP combat hate by touring Underground Railroad site

Members of the Ontario Provincial Police from front line patrol all the way up to the commissioner’s office toured Lakeshore’s Underground Railroad Museum Thursday, in an effort to combat systemic racism and hate.

Armed with hope and solidarity, dozens of officers and community leaders took part in the John Freeman Walls Site tour and celebration, suggesting the event was a historic occasion for police and the community.

“Today is a very important day for the Ontario Provincial Police,” said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique. “This is an opportunity for us to learn about Black history, about Canadian history, to open up our hearts and minds and to celebrate the contributions that Black Canadians have made to this great country.”

“It's a trajectory that I'm very committed to and our organization is very committed to building,” Carrique added. “Trusting, legitimate relationships with community is essential to making sure that we're able to provide the necessary level of safety and security that our communities deserve.”

The event was co-hosted by the OPP Office of Professionalism, Respect, Inclusion and Leadership (OPRIL) and the West Region Inclusion Council.

Members of the OPP and community leaders took a tour of the Underground Railroad Museum in Lakeshore, Ont. on June 29, 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

“It's equally as important as an organization that we come together and our members see that there is equity, there's equal opportunities, we remove barriers that have traditionally been in place for Black officers for as long as policing has existed,” Carrique said.

He added that when there are issues between the community and the police it can put Black officers in a difficult situation where they're pulled between their profession and community.

“It’s an enormous amount of stress, it's an enormous amount of responsibility and I'm inspired every day by how our Black officers manage that, how they stand up and fulfill those responsibilities and expectations. And we learn,” Carrique said. “We learn from their experiences and today is about learning from the experience of Black Canadians and the relationship between Canada and the U.S. as it relates to the Underground Railway.”

“It’s an encouragement to show that the Underground Railroad truly was the first great freedom movement in the Americas,” said Curator Dr. Bryan Walls, a descendent of John Freeman Walls. “The first time good people, Black and white, of different races and faiths worked together in harmony for freedom and for justice. And as I've said before, if they did it way back then, they could do it today.”

For Walls, OPP members coming down to break bread with them was "a blessing.”

It’s a sentiment shared by daughter and Executive Director, Brittany Walls Myles.

Members of the OPP and community leaders took a tour of the Underground Railroad Museum in Lakeshore, Ont. on June 29, 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)“It’s inspiring,” she said. “My family and I have worked for years and years to get this museum to a place where people know enough about it. That its message could shine bright and that's what's happening today.”

Walls Myles told CTV News Windsor, “Today is a blessing. Today is an answered prayer. Today is an avenue for us to have the world see what we do here and to shine our light.”

Couple Carol Sutherland and Graeme McPhaden were caught by surprise Thursday morning when police showed up to the museum. They joined the authorities on the tour as they try to tour all of the Underground Railroad sites in the region.

“At first it was quite intimidating. I was like, ‘Wow! All these cops,’ then I look around and I see some cops that looked like me. So I felt mildly comfortable,” Sutherland explained. “It's a wonderful thing.”

She continued, “This is wonderful and to be part of this today, and to come and to see that people are moved by this amazing story. It is a bridge that we are building. It's so moving.” 

Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey and Town of LaSalle Deputy Mayor Mike Akpata were among several municipal dignitaries in attendance.

Akpata, who is Black and a retired Windsor police constable told CTV News it was a privilege to be invited, noting the property means a lot.

“The touch of freedom for an interracial couple that ran from South Carolina to live here on these grounds… free, or with minimal harassment or less harassment, but free, to the point that the family still maintains this,” Akpata said. “Much has happened on this land for hundreds of years. It is a gem in our county. It is a part of our history, and to see the commissioner of the OPP and the senior leadership team here demonstrates their commitment to equality and equity in the province.”

Recent Sandwich Secondary School graduate Eugene Anekwe also took part in the tour and celebration.

Anekwe said he initially wasn’t sure what was happening when he first arrived at the historic site upon seeing so many officers in uniform.

“When I came and spoke to all the officers, they were amazing and it was so great to see how much they cared and how much they wanted to make a positive impact,” said Anekwe.

According to Anekwe, it’s important to see people in power like police officers be engaged in the community for a positive impact on not only Black students, but the entire community.

“To see that being done today so genuinely was amazing,” Anekwe said.