Vintage Black Canada : A Doon Village Introspection Self Guided Tour

This exhibition at Martin House, in the heart of Doon Heritage Village, invites visitors to reflect on the ways that different histories can exist side by side. Within this setting, A Doon Village Introspection introduces photographs from the Vintage Black Canada™ archive, curated by Aaron T. Francis, and Caribbean household artifacts to offer not only a window into Black life but also a reminder of its resonances with other stories of migration and community. The exhibition underscores how different communities have built belonging in Waterloo Region through work, ritual, creativity, and care.

Ultimately, this project asks visitors to consider how different communities - whether Mennonite families in the 19th century or Caribbean immigrants in the 20th - have navigated migration, adaptation, and the building of community in Waterloo Region. By placing these stories together, we highlight shared labours and aspirations, and the ways people make space for belonging. In this way, Martin House becomes a meeting place of histories - one that encourages us to see local life through multiple lenses.

The Curator:

Aaron T. Francis is a doctoral student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo researching the role of art and culture on Jamaican foreign policy. Aaron is also a community archivist, curator and the founder of Vintage Black Canada.