A grave concern in Niagara-on-the-Lake
State of Butler’s burial ground brought to attention of Parks Canada at management plan open house
Col. John Butler deserves better.
Bill Hamilton and Shirley Stark, who help with ghost tours in the Old Town, jumped at the chance to question Parks Canada officials about Butler’s final resting place. Butler led a strong detachment of natives from Niagara at the Battle of Oriskany in August 1777, and Hamilton and Stark wanted to know why his burial site is in such a deplorable state.
“I’m concerned about the condition of Butler’s burial ground,” Hamilton said. “I went out there and the grass was about knee high.”
Hamilton raised the issue at an open house hosted by Parks Canada to obtain feedback from the public on its draft management plan for its historical sites in Niagara. Those sites include Fort George, Butler’s Barracks, Fort Mississauga, Navy Island, Queenston Heights (Brock’s Monument), Mississauga Point Lighthouse and the Battlefield of Fort George. Add to that list, Butler’s burial spot.
Even Lisa Curtis, superintendent of National Historic Sites for Parks Canada’s southwest Ontario region, was not aware it was a Parks Canada property.
Curtis said she was caught off-guard by the question.
“There could be a wide range of reasons,” she said. “No site is less important.”
She then said it could be a matter of being short on manpower.
“I don’t want to use that as an excuse,” she said, adding that she appreciated Hamilton’s concern.
The new draft management plan will replace a similar document created in 2007 that was repeatedly described as “an accountability document” by presenters, external relations manager for the southwest Ontario region, Eric Nielsen and Curtis.
Developed through previous input with stakeholders and feedback from the public, the plan outlines three strategies being put forward that will help enhance the Niagara sites.
They are:
• Making the Niagara sites a premier Canadian heritage destination through common signage, an improved welcome and wayfinding experience and working with partners to develop improved interpretive tools.
• Empowering Indigenous voices through an open dialogue with local and regional Indigenous communities and looking at how Indigenous culture can be shared with visitors and Canadians. Also, find ways to celebrate the connection between the sites and Indigenous people and foster reconciliation.
• Conserving Niagara’s cultural heritage through maintaining and protecting the integrity of the heritage buildings, archeological resources and the cultural landscape to ensure long-term sustainability of the sites.
Another questioner wondered what kind of attraction Parks Canada has for the land referred to as “the Lakeshore property” under the authority of the Department of National Defence (DND) and home to sewage lagoons operated by Niagara Region. The Region, is also currently building a new sewage treatment facility nearby.
Nielsen said no decisions have been made concerning the property as both the DND and Region are not through with it and would decide on a use “once the property comes back to us.”
Curtis said she was happy people were asking questions.
“I want the comments,” she said. “I want to hear what people are passionate about and what’s in the plan that will satisfy them.”
Parks Canada is working toward having a final version of the management plan ready to be tabled in the House of Commons by October.