Arch unveiled honouring legacy of Mary E. Bibb

Mary E. Bibb Park has a new archway, honouring Canada’s first female Black journalist and key figure in the Underground Railroad.

A new gateway arch was unveiled Sunday afternoon at the entrance of Mary E. Bibb Park, honouring the legacy of Canada’s first female black journalist and key figure in the Underground Railroad.

Located next to MacKenzie Hall in Windsor’s historic Sandwich Town, the park was renamed in 2020 to celebrate the legacy of Mary E. Bibb, who was a teacher, anti-slavery activist, and co-founder of The Voice of the Fugitive, the first newspaper in Canada published by and for Black Canadians.

Donations from the public, combined with a grant from the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Organization and funding from the City of Windsor, helped bring the project to life through the work of the Friends of the Court-MacKenzie Hall.

“We are glad to acknowledge her presence and have an arch that welcomes people as she welcomed people through the Underground Railroad,” said Jennifer Moore, a volunteer with the Friends of the Court-MacKenzie Hall. “Mary Bibb was part of the Underground Railroad. She was bringing people in. We’d like to use this arch to welcome people in and make sure they know that she was an important part of the history of Sandwich Town.”

The arch stands as a lasting reminder of Bibb’s contributions to freedom, education and civil rights. Community members hope it will encourage reflection on the area’s rich history and the people, like Bibb, who helped shape it.

“She was a very important person in our community and wherever she lived,” Moore said.