When African Americans sought refuge from the horrors of slavery in the U.S., many came to Canada for a better life.

That was the case for James Mink, who fled the U.S. to Ontario, Canada, in the 1840s. James was the youngest of 11 children of a slave known as “Mink” and was born in 1811, according to Toronto Newswire.

As young men, he and his brother George started hotels, liveries, and coach services in Kingston, Ont. before moving to Toronto to expand. The brothers learned how to drive a wagon and transported travellers between Toronto and Kingston, then the capital city of Upper Canada (Ottawa).

Their popularity earned them the respect of their passengers and the duo was assigned mail runs as a result. The Minks would deliver mail to Kingston and nearby communities, while George delivered mail from Kingston to Montreal.

In a Toronto election, Mink’s hotel served as a voting location. In the 1850s, the mayor also hired his coach company for his inauguration. Farmers outside the GTA would stay at his hotel and sell their produce at local markets, including St. Lawrence Market.

The city’s first public transit systems were started by Mink, who used his livery service.

Some sources say Mink married a white woman from Ireland and had a daughter named Minnie, who was allegedly sold into slavery following her marriage to U.S. businessman William Johnson.

However, in 1996, his story was made into a movie called “Captive Heart,” in which he was married to a Black woman. It started with Louis Gossett Jr., who played Mink, Kate Nelligan, Ruby Dee, Peter Outerbridge, and Rachael Crawford.

Mink died in 1866 at the age of 55 and was buried in Riverdale Cemetery, according to Toronto Newswire.