Amber Valley - A Black Community

A Black Community

The Secretary of the Athabasca Landing Board of Trade wrote to Frank [Frank Oliver, publisher and editor of the Edmonton Bulletin] that 'When it was learned around town that these negroes were coming out there was great indignation, and many threatened violence, threatened to meet them on the trail out of town, and turn them back.' The secretary also said that as there already were African Americans in the area, and only a few whites had as yet located there, there was a danger of the district becoming all black. He suggested that as a remedy the new African- American arrivals be segregated with another group that had already located near Lobstick Lake, west of Edmonton. (Shepard 1997, 77)

Interview clip with J.D. Edwards, explains why Black Americans came from Oklahoma to Athabasca in 1910.

Georgia Toles

Georgia Toles. Toles' School named after the family.

Black children outside home

Interview clip with J.D. Edwards, talks about the first colored settlements in Northern Alberta.