Fort Erie has played a significant role in multiple eras of history beyond the War of 1812.

The border town sitting across from Buffalo, N.Y., was a major terminus in the Underground Railroad, a network of secret passages and safe havens for Black people escaping slavery in the U.S.

This is why Fort Erie town councillors unanimously approved to recognize September as International Underground Railroad Month, after a presentation from Dewitt Lee III.

Lee is the founder of Caretakers of Our Culture, a group with a mandate to celebrate people of African descent.

International Underground Railroad Month was first proclaimed in 2019 by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

An effort undertaken by a binational Underground Railroad Month committee has been focusing this year on spreading the word at th

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