Freedom Rock

Nestled away from the Bruce Trail, on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment south of Collingwood Ontario, is a relatively unknown historical treasure - Freedom Rock. On a rock outcropping, in the middle of a forest, people from past days have carefully and meticulously carved a number of sayings outlining their political and philosophical views. Spelling and grammatical errors might lead you to think the authors were not very highly educated. But the sophistication of the sentiments expressed shows that they were well-informed and intelligent people (whether or not you agree with their views). These inscriptions stand in marked contrast to the typical urban graffiti art of our era - both in the topic and opinions being expressed, and in the care and effort that went into expressing them for posterity. Regardless what you might think of the author sentiments, stumbling across these artifacts in the midst of a Bruce Trail forest hike is a startling and thought-provoking experience.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of recorded history explaining the origins of Freedom Rock (maybe the librarians of Grey County could give it a shot). The book Country Walks: The Niagara Escarpment, by R. McLean et al, suggests nineteenth century origins with local farmers, but the quotations given are largely inaccurate. Freedom Rock is also mentioned in passing in the Bruce Trail Association's reference guide, although their trail map (Devil's Glen, Map 22) gives an incorrect location for it.

I first became aware of Freedom Rock in the 1980s. Since then, I have visited several times. Recently I have noted a marked deterioration of the site as it becomes overgrown by the encroaching forest and as some of the features wear away or are damaged by vandals or recent graffiti. As a result, I decided in October 2007 to make a visit and to try to capture a record of the site and the inscriptions there. By rappelling down the rock face I was able to photograph all areas of the site and later, using computer image enhancement, to decipher the inscriptions.

The Site

Freedom Rock is a small outlier of the Niagara Escarpment, at a point where the escarpment looks out to the south. The escarpment rock face is approximately 10-15m high in this area, with a heavily wooded talus slope below. Typical Southern Ontario mixed deciduous forest and cedars dominate. The outlier is about 5m south of the main escarpment and about 15m wide, creating a small "alcove" enclosure (15 x 5 x 15m) in which most of the inscriptions can be found.

A large gully ("East Gully") descends from the escarpment top to the eastern side of the alcove, and provides the easiest access. On the western side, the alcove splits into two zones: a steep gully filled with large blocks and talus ("West Gully") that ascends the escarpment, and a 2m-wide exit to the lower talus slopes. The floor of the alcove slopes downward to the west, dropping about 3m over a distance of 15m. Through the exit, in the face of the main escarpment, is a small crevice cave whose roof is formed by the material in the West Gully. This cave is known locally as the "Tomb" because it is just big enough to slip a body or two into. Its entrance is marked by a faded yellow blaze painted on the rock face.

This is a sketch of the north wall of the alcove (the south face of the main escarpment). The letters indicate the location of each of the inscriptions. Items "p" and "q" are not visible as they are located inside the "Tomb" cave at the left side of the view. A photograph of part of this face is also shown.

This is a sketch of the south wall of the alcove (the north face of Freedom Rock). The letters indicate the location of each of the inscriptions I have recorded. I was unable to get a clear photograph of this face.

The Inscriptions

And now, on to the sayings of Freedom Rock! Each is carved into the rock face in letters approximately 10cm high (except inscription "k", which is about 20cm high). Some of the text has weathered almost to the point of illegibility, and some parts of the rock face have fractured and broken off such that parts of the sayings may already be lost forever. Inscriptions "o", "p", and "q" show traces of red pigment (paint?) in the letters.

INSCRIPTION "A"

THE TREND TOWARD

ESTATE FARMING IS

RUINING THE RURAL

WAY OF

LIFE

What would the author make of modern-day factory farming and agri-business conglomerates?

INSCRIPTION "B"

THE GREATEST

FREEDOM OF ALL IS

THE " TO

SPEND YOUR OWN

MONEY

Political economics and libertarian sentiments run through many of the sayings at Freedom Rock.

INSCRIPTION "C"

WHEN POLITIANS

THROW MONEY IN THE

GUTTER FOR THE

MOB CIVILIBATION HAS

REACHED THE RI E

PEAK TAG

This author consistently got the Ns backwards. So it wasn't just a sign-maker's error from being too close. It's a real shame that much of this inscription has been lost to weathering (the final few words) or scratched over by recent vandalism ("MOB CIVILIZATION"). The extreme discolouration of the rock here must be due to dripping irony.

INSCRIPTION "D"

Located immediately below inscription "c", this inscription has worn almost to the point of complete illegibility. I was unable to decipher any of the letters, nor to obtain a photograph that could be deciphered. It will have to wait for another attempt on a subsequent visit.

INSCRIPTION "E"

A PESSIMIST A COWARD

AN OPTOMIST A LIAR

A REALIST A HERO

Isn't this really a matter of perspective? Like how anyone who drives slower than me on the highway is "an idiot" but anyone who drives faster is "a maniac"?

INSCRIPTION "F"

WORSHIP OF GOD

INSTEAD OF STATE

INTEGRITY OF FAMILY

The key verb is missing. I supposed this is meant as somewhat of a syllogism in support of family values.

INSCRIPTION "G"

TO BE FULLY

EDUCATED ONE

MUST FARM

5 YRS

How detached from the land we have become in the intervening years. This saying loses almost all of its resonance for modern urban readers. When I first learned of Freedom Rock, this saying was erroneously reported to me as "To be fully free, one must farm", which is equally pithy, and has greater resonance for me. So I was a bit disappointed when I deciphered this one.

INSCRIPTION "H"

CANADA FOR CANADAINS

CHINA FOR CHINESE

Apparently racism has been around in Ontario for many years. Perhaps an historian of the 19th century period could shed some light on where these tensions may have been coming from? We're a long way away from any national railroad projects here.

INSCRIPTION "I"

IN 64

ANGLO-SAXON

COUNTRIES OWE

PROSPERITY TO

THE PROTESTANT

FAITH OF OUR

ANCESTERS

Max Weber would probably agree. Presumably, the author means 1864.

INSCRIPTION "J"

IN 65 THE ERA

OF REGIMENTATION

COMENCED

Unclear whether the author is referring to militia activities, or to some more general social construction of perceived constraints to individual liberty. Anyone got an idea?

INSCRIPTION "K"

TRY

This is precisely carved, 15 feet above the rocky and uneven ground. This author certainly knew what he was talking about. But it would have been nice to know what exactly he was exhorting us to try.

INSCRIPTION "L"

RP

TCB

I suspect this inscription is of much more recent origin, as the rock is not discoloured, and the subject is probably just someone's initials. But it has been as carefully carved as the other primary inscriptions. So I have listed here with them, rather than below with the recent graffiti. Too bad the author didn't have the gumption or clarity of thought to make his own political or economic statement (I'm talking to you, R.P.).

INSCRIPTION "M"

A PERFECT

HAS NO

A great start to a saying. Too bad the right-hand side is missing. There is no sign of it being lost due to a fracture or flaking of the rock face. It just seems to have worn away.

INSCRIPTION "N"

INDIVIDUALIST ARE

DIAMONDS

Concise, clear. This inscription is a diamond.

INSCRIPTION "O"

THE EDUCATIONAL

SYSTEM IS

BLOATED

TO MUCH

JUNK

TAUGHT

But not enough spelling (snark). Imagine the interesting conversation you could have had with this author. What is the point of education? What is this "junk"? Has history borne out his opinion? This inscription is on a boulder at the east end of the north wall. This photograph was taken facing east, from inside the alcove. Immediately behind this boulder is the upward slope of the East Gully.

The "Tomb"

Two additional inscriptions can be found inside the crevice cave, immediately to the west of the Freedom Rock alcove. A flashlight is recommended, as only a little light filters in through the cracks in the West Gully ceiling. A hardhat is useful too, as you will definitely crack your head on the cave entrance.

INSCRIPTION "P"

DO

GOOD

What can be said? Look at the care with which this has been inscribed. What motivates a man to spend hours and hours inside a cave to leave this mark for posterity? Was he crazy? Or was he trying to tell us something he felt was very, very important?

INSCRIPTION "Q"

SINGLE PEOPLE

ARE ECONOMIC

SLAVES OF THE

STATE

More nineteenth century family values, I guess. But the logic is unclear to me. I wonder what the political conditions were in those days that made single people beholden to their governments.

Recent Markings

In recent years, the conditions of Freedom Rock have gotten worse. A great deal of graffiti has been scratched onto the rock face (presumably with a loose, hand-held bit of stone). That's a shame, as it has defaced or obliterated some of the original inscriptions. It's also a shame because it indicates so clearly how lame its authors were in comparison – no thoughtfulness behind it, no consideration of posterity, and no workmanship in their self-expression. Just wavy, uncontrolled scribbling. Lame in every possible way. You can see examples in several of the photos above: "LOVE" (what about it?), "F A WAS HERE" (and had nothing intelligent to say?), etc.

On the west end of the north wall, just as you pass the West Gully, someone has carefully painted a Taoist Yin Yang symbol. But it is already starting to weather, and will be long gone while the inscriptions will remain. Maybe it is meant an object lesson in impermanence?

On the north wall, to the left of inscription "m", someone has carved a rudimentary cartoon face. The incisions are not discoloured, and seem quite recent.

Overall, the rock faces are becoming quite weathered. The more exposed areas are becoming covered with moss or lichen. The sheltered areas (such as inscription "e", which is under a 1m overhang on the south wall) are in much better condition. Recent light-coloured scars also bear witness to continuing fractures and rock fall from the escarpment face, driven by rain and freezing cycles.

How to Get There

Freedom Rock is on the southern border on Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation Area, near the village of Singhampton. Here is a road map from Toronto. This map is greatly out of scale, with distances from Toronto to Singhampton much compressed, and the details from Singhampton to the park much expanded.

You can park at the trailhead on the south side of 15-16 Sideroad. Follow the obvious cart track southwards, ignoring the white blazes of the Bruce Trail (which wanders off to the west before rejoining the cart track near the escarpment edge), until you reach the lookout at the top of the escarpment. This is a great picnic spot, and one of the best views on the trail. There are several similar lookouts in the region extending about 100m east from this point, with several small outliers and crevice caves. Here is a sketch map of the conservation area trails. There is a wilderness camp site and a vault toilet, but no reliable water supply.

Following the Bruce Trail eastwards along the edge of the escarpment, about 100m east of the lookouts, you come to a place where a faint blue-blazed side trail splits off to the right and heads over the edge of the escarpment. This branch in the trail is also indicated by an 8-foot dead tree trunk, stripped of its bark. In the photo you can see it, and the faintly marked blue trail heading off to the right.

Following this side trail will take you down a steep slope of the East Gully and then will turn to the right (westward) to enter the alcove between Freedom Rock and the main escarpment.

If You Go

Standard trail user guidelines apply. Do not wander off the trails, nor disturb the encroaching vegetation. Please resist the temptation to scratch something into the rock face, unless you are prepared to carefully chisel it in a well-formed font, and have something worthwhile to say to the generations 150 years hence.

If you are able to improve upon my interpretations, or have some history of Freedom Rock, or maybe even discover an inscription that I have missed, please email me to let me know!