ABOUT BNG...
Established in 2003 and originally recognized as the “North Buxton Youth Committee”, the group began with a $500 donation from Bonnie and Mike Robbins. Proceeds from that donation went to sponsor entertainment for the first ever “Party in the Park” during our annual Homecoming Celebration. In 2011, the group officially changed its name to Buxton’s Next Generation (BNG) and a Board of Directors was established.
The Board members are:
President - Michelle Robbins
Vice President - Tessa Van Zetten
Treasurer - Heather Robbins
Secretary - Heather Robbins
Youth Ambassadors: Noah Lumley and Layla Bardyla
The mandate of BNG is engaging our youth and preserving our culture.
The Board members are:
President - Michelle Robbins
Vice President - Tessa Van Zetten
Treasurer - Heather Robbins
Secretary - Heather Robbins
Youth Ambassadors: Noah Lumley and Layla Bardyla
The mandate of BNG is engaging our youth and preserving our culture.
About our history...
The history of the Buxton Settlement and the surrounding area is rich with stories of the Underground Railroad. The
settlement was founded in 1849 by an abolitionist and former slave owner, Rev William King. Buxton became Canada’s most successful planned settlement for both fugitive slaves and free blacks. The community continues to exist today,
inhabited by the descendants of those first black refugees and was recognized as a National Historic Site by the government of
Canada.
At its peak, 1,200 blacks once lived around Buxton. However, following Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which allowed Blacks to join the union army that came into effect on January 1st, 1863, seventy men left their freedom, family and homes and returned to the United States to fight in the Civil War. After the war some returned to sell their farms, some remained in the United States to help with the reconstruction, and some were looking for lost family and friends they left behind. Descendants of those first fugitive slaves inhabit the community of 100 today.
Descendants of former slaves make the pilgrimage “home” where memories are rekindled, ties and acquaintances are renewed. Yet
others come to nestle in the warmth and hospitality of these descendants of the original Buxton settlers. The Buxton settlement provides a place where their stories of courage and dedication continue.
settlement was founded in 1849 by an abolitionist and former slave owner, Rev William King. Buxton became Canada’s most successful planned settlement for both fugitive slaves and free blacks. The community continues to exist today,
inhabited by the descendants of those first black refugees and was recognized as a National Historic Site by the government of
Canada.
At its peak, 1,200 blacks once lived around Buxton. However, following Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which allowed Blacks to join the union army that came into effect on January 1st, 1863, seventy men left their freedom, family and homes and returned to the United States to fight in the Civil War. After the war some returned to sell their farms, some remained in the United States to help with the reconstruction, and some were looking for lost family and friends they left behind. Descendants of those first fugitive slaves inhabit the community of 100 today.
Descendants of former slaves make the pilgrimage “home” where memories are rekindled, ties and acquaintances are renewed. Yet
others come to nestle in the warmth and hospitality of these descendants of the original Buxton settlers. The Buxton settlement provides a place where their stories of courage and dedication continue.
