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Monument honours Indigenous farm workers in Aldershot

March 2022

Driving along Plains Road in the south-west corner of Burlington, Ontario, today, it’s hard to imagine that this area was once known as the fruit basket of Ontario. Known as Aldershot, this former unincorporated village, a part of East Flamborough Township until it was annexed by Burlington in 1958, was once a major farming community.

Names like Gallagher, Unsworth, Easterbrook, Hendrie and Emery were common names in the farming community.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Indigenous workers came to Aldershot to help with the farm work, especially during harvest time. They primarily came from the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, but some from as far away as Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (on Manitoulin Island) and the Wahta Mohawk Territory (near Bala). Some were day-workers, some were seasonal, and some remained for the entire year. Some even settled permanently in the area.

These Indigenous workers were highly sought after, with some being very skilled farmers, but all very dedicated workers.

Their living conditions were pretty basic, with many residing in tool sheds, basket barns and outbuildings. The more fortunate workers lived in modest cabins. Some locals referred to their humble abodes as “Indian shacks,” a term that today is considered offensive.

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2015, a monument was dedicated to the Indigenous workers of Aldershot through the efforts of the Métis Women’s Circle of Dundas, Ontario. A large polished granite monument was placed in a corner of the cemetery at East Plains United Church, a church that dates back to 1843, along the fence line where the graves of several former Indigenous workers, some unmarked, can be found.

The monument was inscribed: “To honour the many untold stories of Native agricultural workers and their families who lived and laboured in historic Aldershot.”

“The farms couldn’t have operated without them. They were essential,” recalled 93-year-old Reg Bullock, whose family-owned farms along both sides of Plains Road near Falcon Boulevard.

 “Their contribution, while not recognized by the community, was a significant one. Without those workers, I’m not sure how successful the farms would have been or if their profitability or size would have been maintained,” remarked Lynn Nicholson from the Métis Women’s Circle.

The farms in Aldershot are long gone, replaced by the residential and commercial growth of Burlington. With this monument, the significant contributions of the Indigenous workers can be told, ensuring that they are not forgotten. It’s debatable as to whether the farms would have been as prosperous as they were without these unsung workers.

Sources: https://local-news.ca/2021/09/30/aldershot-honours-indigenous-farm-workers/, Storyteller brings to life past contributions of Aboriginal farm workers in Aldershot (insidehalton.com).

About the author

Bruce Forsyth

Bruce Forsyth served in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve for 13 years (1987-2000). He served with units in Toronto, Hamilton & Windsor and worked or trained at CFB Esquimalt, CFB Halifax, CFB Petawawa, CFB Kingston, CFB Toronto, Camp Borden, The Burwash Training Area and LFCA Training Centre Meaford.

Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/monument-honours-indigenous-farm-workers-in-aldershot/

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