Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: October 10, 2002
• Invested on: December 12, 2003

He has been making Canadians aware of the Black community's rich heritage for the last two decades. His novel, The Road That Led to Somewhere, chronicles his family's journey to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Tireless in his efforts to tell their story, share their struggles and celebrate their courage, he founded and curates the John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Museum, built on the ancestral homestead he restored. Forging lasting bonds with organizations in the United States such as the Rosa & Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, he has helped to connect African Canadians with their American counterparts.