Chatham-Kent, Municipal center in Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Chatham-Kent is a single-tier municipality in southwestern Ontario that combines several smaller towns and rural areas between two large lakes. The territory covers flat farmland and small settlements linked by country roads.
The current municipality formed in 1998 when the city of Chatham merged with several surrounding towns and townships into one administrative unit. In earlier centuries, the region served as a destination for people who crossed the lake from the United States seeking refuge.
This area served as the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad, and visitors can still see buildings where families who escaped slavery settled and built new lives. Small museums and heritage sites along country roads preserve the memory of those who arrived seeking freedom.
Visitors can reach the communities by local bus service that runs between the larger centers, or by car along the country roads. The area is spread out, so having your own vehicle helps if you want to visit smaller settlements and heritage sites.
Eleven memorial sites along the Tecumseh Parkway mark battlefields and meeting places from the War of 1812 when British and Indigenous troops fought against American forces. The route connects spots in the area where skirmishes and larger battles took place.
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