Burr Plato (–1905) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

political figure. Of

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

background, he was born into slavery in

Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States: * Logan County, Arkansas * Logan County, Colorado * Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895) * Logan County, Illinois * Logan County, Kansas * Logan County ...

, today part of

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. Burr succeeded in escaping enslavement and making his way to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in 1856 after an arduous journey culminating in a swim to freedom across the

Niagara River The Niagara River ( ) flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming part of the border between Ontario, Canada, to the west, and New York, United States, to the east. The origin of the river's name is debated. Iroquoian scholar Bruce T ...

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

, where he settled.'Black History'

, With a reputation locally in

Niagara Falls, Ontario Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada, adjacent to, and named after, Niagara Falls. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, the city had a population of 94,415. The city is located on the Niagara Peninsula along the western bank of the ...

, for honesty in business affairs, Plato became a prominent property owner and served from 1886 to 1901 in Niagara Falls as an elected councillor. Plato died in 1905.

References

City of Niagara Falls Museums – Black History
at www.niagarafallsmuseum.ca * Electoral firsts in Canada#African-Canadians 1830s births 1905 deaths People from Logan County, West Virginia 19th-century American slaves American emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Black Canadian politicians Niagara Falls, Ontario city councillors Immigrants to the Province of Canada Black Canadian businesspeople Canadian people of African-American descent {{Ontario-politician-stub