National Post (National Edition)
A GRAVE INJUSTICE
UPKEEP OF PMS’ GRAVESITES DOWNRIGHT DISMAL: REPORTS
The gravesites of many of Canada’s former prime ministers are damaged or decaying, yet the federal agency responsible for their upkeep doesn’t seem to be in any rush to fix the problems.
Recently completed inspection reports obtained by the National Post show the burial sites face a litany of issues, including crumbling or rusting stonework, fading or illegible inscriptions, discoloured portraits and missing signage.
Arthur Milnes, a political speechwriter and prime minister historian in Kingston, Ont., says it’s unfathomable why the government isn’t putting more effort into restoration, especially as the nation celebrates 150 years of Confederation.
“These are our prime ministers. They gave their lives to build what is today one of the most successful nations on Earth,” he said.
“If we can’t honour their final resting places long after their service, then why are we in the business of country?”
Parks Canada spokeswoman Natalie Fay said in a statement that the problems identified are “commonly encountered in the conservation of monuments.” Once the reports are finished this spring, “their final recommendations will be reviewed to determine how and when the challenges … will be addressed.”
In 1999, the federal government started a national program designed to “ensure the conservation and promotion” of our prime ministers’ grave sites. Under the program, Parks Canada was supposed to work with families and cemeteries to prepare “comprehensive” conservation plans, and conservation specialists were to inspect each site every five years.
In the most recent round of inspections, carried out in 2016 and early 2017, sites were found to be in “good or fair condition,” just as they were in 2011, Fay said.
But the inspection reports, obtained by the National Post under access-to-information legislation, showed a range of cosmetic and structural problems.
Sir Mackenzie Bowell’s gravesite in Belleville, Ont., features a tall, pink-granite obelisk that sits atop a limestone base. The inspection found the base in “poor” shape; parts of it had cracked and corners had broken off.
Inscriptions on the obelisk had “faded in an unusual way” and were “no longer legible.” Cobwebs and debris had accumulated on the surface and sealed joints were covered in biological growth and required “immediate maintenance.”
Bowell’s portrait on an information panel had “significantly faded” and a garbage bin next to the panel was “visually intrusive,” the report said.
In Sarnia, Ont., the gravesite of Alexander Mackenzie sits in a large family plot on a gently sloping hill. The dominant feature, a sandstone obelisk carved with leaf-like motifs, has suffered “many areas of loss,” according to the inspection.
Previous attempts to repair damage were “unsuccessful” and “unattractive.” The report recommended future cleaning should be minimal and done without water or any chemicals. And forget about doing any repairs, it said, “as repairs appear to accelerate the deterioration of the sandstone.”
It was “strongly recommended” that 3D scanning of the inscriptions be carried out to preserve the wording.
Elsewhere, some of the 48 headstones in the family plot were said to be heavily soiled. And a panel commemorating Canada’s 125th anniversary of Confederation was “missing.”
At Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s resting place in Ottawa, an oval-shaped portrait of Laurier on an information panel was “completely discoloured by the natural elements,” the inspection report said.
The main feature of the gravesite, an elevated stone sarcophagus, was said to have “rust-like stains all over the monument.”
A bronze wreath sitting at the base was tinted green, a sign of copper corrosion. And sealant used to cover joints between the wreath and the monument had failed over time, allowing water to get trapped.
Meanwhile, paving stones around the monument were said to be “fair to poor” and required levelling.
At the burial site of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, in Kingston, a large family obelisk showed cracks. And two marble stones in the family plot were “heavily covered in soil” and their inscriptions extremely difficult to read.
The grass inside the plot was said to be patchy and appeared burnt by sun or chemicals. And the cast-iron fence surrounding the plot was corroding.
At some sites, attempts to address problems seemed to create new ones. In Halifax, the sarcophagus of Sir John Thompson underwent cleaning by a private company, but the inspection report wondered if site staff were “over-cleaning the stone.”
Further, the report questioned the appropriateness of removing all surrounding grass in favour of a white gravel plot. Its removal should be considered, the report said, as “white gravel is stark compared to the surrounding environment.”
And bright yellow bollards installed to protect the site were described as “unsightly.”
Meanwhile, at a different cemetery in Halifax, all shrubbery and plants were removed from Sir Charles Tupper’s gravesite, meaning the pink-granite Celtic cross bearing his name sat in a “very stark cemetery plot.” Maybe some non-invasive plants could be added, the report suggested.
Milnes said the cost of remediation shouldn’t be that expensive.
“Imagine Americans allowing a grave to fall to (pieces). It wouldn’t happen,” he said, noting that it is customary for U.S. military members to lay wreaths at the gravesites of former American presidents on their birthdays.
Milnes added that Macdonald’s second wife, Lady Agnes Macdonald, and their daughter, Mary, are buried in England, but their gravesites do not mention their connection to Canadian history.
He recently wrote to Canada’s high commissioner in Britain, asking if a wreath or Canadian flag could at least be placed at their gravesites on or near July 1.
It is “sad,” he wrote, “that the spouse and daughter of the Father of Confederation have no official recognition from our High Commission at their graves so far away from the country they too served.”
THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES TO BUILD WHAT IS TODAY ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL NATIONS ON EARTH. IF WE CAN’T HONOUR THEIR FINAL RESTING PLACES LONG AFTER THEIR SERVICE, THEN WHY ARE WE IN THE BUSINESS OF COUNTRY?” — ARTHUR MILNES, HISTORIAN