Canal’s legacy in focus
See inside for stories on the history of the Welland Ship Canal as it reaches another milestone.
Visiting a cemetery might not be high on the list of fun long weekend excursions for most people.
But being there, among the gravestones of people who died long ago, can create a connection to the era in which those people lived, said Kathleen Powell, curator at St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
“A lot of people are turned off a little bit by visiting cemeteries, but they’re beautiful locations. A lot of times the iconography and the look of the gravestones is very interesting. If the weather’s nice, it’s going to be just a really nice walk in the cemetery,” she said.
“Hearing really interesting stories in the place where those people are buried always to me brings the whole thing a little bit more to life,” she said.
The Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force teamed up with local museums to run a series of cemetery tours during the long weekend, allowing participants to see the graves of the people behind the stories of workers who died while building the Fourth Welland Canal which opened 85 years ago, on Aug. 6, 1932.
“That’s why these types of tours are so great,” she said.
Guides including Isabel Bachman, Roger Bradshaw, John Burtniak and Penny Morningstar will lead tours of four Niagara cemeteries, stopping at the graves of fallen workers buried within, sharing their stories.
“It’s kind of similar information that you would get reading Standard articles that we have been putting out. It’s the same idea, but a little more personal,” Powell said. “You’re right there. You’re right in the cemetery with their gravestone.”
The tours begin at 10 a.m., today (Saturday), at the old portion of Victoria Lawn Cemetery, 480 Queenston St., St. Catharines. A tour of the newer section of Victoria Lawn Cemetery starts at 2 p.m. this afternoon.
Tours continue Monday starting at 10 a.m. at Old Lakeview Cemetery, 3851 Thorold Town Line Road W., Thorold; 2 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery, 708 Niagara St., Welland, and 2:45 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery, 50 Woodlawn Rd., Welland.
Each of the tours will be about 90 minutes long, and will take place rain or shine. Participants are asked to meet at the entrance to each of the respective cemeteries, and wear comfortable footwear, sun protection, and bring a portable stool if they like.
Although attendance is free, donations will be accepted towards the Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial, being unveiled later this year at Lock 3.
While local museums hold cemetery tours on a regular basis, Powell said it’s the first time tours are being offered specifically for the fallen workers.
Powell said many of the 137 people who died while building the canal were buried at Victoria Lawn Cemetery. However, the stories of fallen workers buried within cemeteries in Thorold and Welland are unique to the portions of the canal they were working on.
For instance, she said many of the fallen workers buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Thorold were likely involved in “some of the bigger parts of the construction, like building the flight locks.”
“That section of the building of the Welland Canal was probably the most dangerous. It’s massive,” she said.
The tours in Welland, Powell added, offers different types of personal stories that relate to the building of the canal as it passed through south Niagara communities.
“It will be very interesting for sure, and a good walk through the cemeteries.”