Canada honours secret lifeline for US slaves

A network of people and safe houses that helped US slaves escape to Canada in the 19th century is still celebrated today, more than 200 years later, in the town of Buxton, Ontario.

What become known as the ‘underground railroad’ stretched from the Deep South to the northern US states and on into Canada.

The escaping slaves knew they were safe when they saw the Union flag flying in Canada, where, as a British territory, slavery had already been abolished.

Al Jazeera’s John Terrett reports from Buxton.