Cemetery history comes alive

Sept. 30, Oct. 1 pageants

Stories of past residents buried at Little Lake Cemetery will come to life during Trent Valley Archives’ Cemetery Pageant later this month.

TVA is hosting two Cemetery Pageants; one in the evening on Sept. 30 and a daytime tour on Oct. 1.

Guests will be taken on a guided tour of the cemetery, stopping at seven grave sites to hear stories of those who are buried there.

Actors dressed in period costumes tell the tales.

Some of the dead are more locally famous than others, such as strongman Daniel McDonald or Robert Henderson, the last man hanged at the Peterborough Jail.

Others aren’t so well known. Jenny Hunter’s site is marked with a small flat stone. Her story is a sad one.

“That’s a story you might not ever hear about,” said Heather Aiton Landry, TVA assistant archivist.

Aiton Landry said the lesserknown stories of residents are usually stumbled upon by chance.

“There’s some we run across accidentally when we’re looking for something else in a newspaper,” she said.

Tales range from poignant to funny, all offering insight into the character of the deceased.

TVA started Cemetery Pageants several years ago. This year, they’re reintroducing the daytime run. Tours run Sept. 30 from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. and Oct. 1 from 1 to 1:45 p.m. They strike out every 15 minutes and last about 90 minutes.

TVA recommends comfortable walking shoes and to bring a flashlight if you’re taking the evening tour. The event is wheelchair accessible.

Afterwards, there’ll be refreshments and live music at the landmark cemetery chapel.

No cars are allowing into the cemetery for the tours, but parking is available outside the main gates at Crescent and Haggart streets. That’s also where the tour begins.

Admission is $22 per person and pre-registration is needed. To buy tickets, go online to www. trentvalleyarchives.com or contact Heather at TVA at 705-745-4404 or email admin@trentvalleyarchives.com.