A man whose life story inspired an Oscar-winning movie was met by a hostile crowd when he tried to speak in Streetsville nearly 170 years ago. Now, a historic walking tour will revisit that disturbing episode as the village wraps up its 2026 tour season.
The final Streetsville Historic Walking Tour of the year takes place Wednesday, Oct. 21, and will focus on Solomon Northup, whose memoir Twelve Years a Slave was adapted into the acclaimed 2013 film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed by Steve McQueen.
The tour, titled “Twelve Years a Slave,” will explore the events surrounding Northup’s visit to Streetsville in August 1857, when the formerly enslaved American came to the village to speak about his experiences.
The walk begins at 7 p.m. at the clock in Streetsville Village Square, at Queen Street South and Main Street. It is led by local historian Richard Collins, who has guided the village’s historic walking tours throughout the year.
According to the tour description, participants will revisit the place where Northup was scheduled to speak and examine how a crowd in the village prevented him from delivering his message.
Northup was born a free man in New York state around 1807. In 1841, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the United States, separated from his family and forced to endure 12 years of enslavement in Louisiana.
After regaining his freedom in 1853, Northup published his memoir, documenting the brutality of slavery and his efforts to return to his family. The book later became the basis for 12 Years a Slave, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2014.
Four years after regaining his freedom, Northup travelled to Canada to give lectures about slavery, with support from the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada.
He was scheduled to speak at Streetsville’s town hall on Aug. 17, 1857. But historical accounts say a hostile crowd interrupted the event with shouting and jeering, preventing him from delivering his lecture.
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An account published in The Globe newspaper two days later described the disruption and how Northup was forced to leave the hall under the protection of supporters.
Streetsville hotel-keeper Robert Stephens is credited with helping Northup leave safely. Reverend Robert Ure of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Streetsville may also have helped arrange the visit, according to local historical research.
The incident offers a revealing glimpse into the racial prejudice that existed in the community during the 19th century, even as anti-slavery advocates worked to challenge the institution and support Black people seeking freedom.
Northup’s visit is also significant because it is considered the last known public reference to him. His whereabouts after leaving Streetsville remain uncertain, as do the circumstances and location of his death.
A plaque commemorating Northup’s visit was unveiled in Streetsville in 2023 as part of efforts to recognize Mississauga’s Black history.
The Oct. 21 walk is the latest in a series of tours exploring the village’s past. Earlier outings this year have examined Streetsville’s historic downtown buildings and its emerging heritage conservation district, a lesser-known historic landmark, the village’s first business district along Main Street, the remains of its riverside mills and the history of the Anishinabe people in early Mississauga.
Another tour explored the affluent families who lived in Streetsville’s historic south side, highlighting the homes and architecture that remain part of the village today.
The walking tours offer residents a chance to look beyond Streetsville’s shops and restaurants to discover the people, events and industries that shaped one of Mississauga’s oldest communities.
The final walk begins at 7 p.m. at the clock in Streetsville Village Square, near Queen Street South and Main Street. The tours are free, and no advance registration is required. Participants should arrive promptly and wear comfortable walking shoes.
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