Story By Anmarie Bailey
Black History Month in Alberta provides an opportunity to educate the wider society about the contributions Black people have made to the world and in their more immediate communities. Sometimes, it’s a change to learn about ourselves.
It has been widely believed that Amber Valley was the first Black settlement in Alberta, but as Deborah Dobbins shares, Wildwood has that distinction.
“Many people know about Amber Valley, but many are not aware that Wildwood was a Black settlement. It was the first black settlement.”
The hamlet in west-central Alberta, approximately 112 kilometers west of Edmonton and 82 kilometres east of Edson was originally named Junkins. It was established in 1908 by a group of 20 African-American immigrants as a Black settlement. These homesteaders arrived from Oklahoma and Texas, just three years after Alberta became a province in 1905.
Dobbins, who is a third generation Canadian, traces her Canadian roots back to grandparents who moved from the Deep South and the discrimination of living there.
“In the early 1900s there was a call out in Alberta and Saskatchewan for immigrants a group of Black people from the US heard about this and made the move, something that many do not know. Some people believe that there were a part of the underground railroad, but that is not correct. These settlers were not slaves escaping to find freedom.”
While Dobbins’ ancestors and those like them were free in Canada, they were not welcomed.
“They faced discrimination, marginalization it was clear that they were not who the government expected to answer the call, but they stayed and established several communities and a made a life here.”
Six generations later, descendants of these first settlers have a presence in more urban centres such as Edmonton, Dobbins believes it is important to continue to share the story of the Wildwood and similar settlers and welcomes the opportunity around Black History Month especially, to share this important part of Alberts’s diverse heritage.
“They have made significant contributions to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Canada and many do not know this aspect of our history. It is not taught in schools and it should be.”
A retired educator, Dobbins hopes that this will soon become a part of the school curriculum. “It’s time that our history be celebrated as part of Canada’s history.”
In the early 20th century, black immigrants came to the prairies from the United States. About 1,000 African Americans emigrated to Alberta from 1909-1911 forming settlements in, Junkins (now Wildwood), near Chip Lake; Keystone (now Breton), southwest of Edmonton; Campsie, near Barrhead; and Eldon, near Maidstone, Saskatchewan.
