Dear editor:
Friends of the Forgotten would like to thank Niagara-on-the-Lake council for its unanimous vote on March 21 to support our group’s work in principle.
Our mission is to respectfully restore the final resting place of Niagara Baptist Church parishioners buried at the Mississagua Street site known historically as the Negro Burial Ground.
Many of these people were part of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s historic Black community, which included enslaved people, freedom seekers from the United States, Black Loyalists, free people and their descendants.
We believe the site should properly honour the parishioners’ place in the town’s heritage and reflect the importance of Black history in NOTL.
Our group formed last fall with the goal of bringing the same level of attention, care and respect to this burial ground as is given to other important historic sites in town.
Since then, we have learned a great deal not only about the site and the parishioners buried there, but also the processes and regulations surrounding burial sites in Ontario.
The Bereavement Authority of Ontario is the governing body for all burial sites and cemeteries in the province, and any actions taken on these sacred grounds need the authority’s approval and must follow its regulations.
As the owner of the property, the Town of NOTL is responsible for maintaining the site.
Before any plans can be finalized to transform the site into a worthy memorial, a phase 1 archeological study must be completed.
Our group raised the $5,000 required for the study, which the town commissioned. Once the results are received, plans for the site and next steps will be determined in conjunction with the Bereavement Authority and the town. Town staff will report back to council with future recommendations at that time.
One of our group’s founding tenets is a desire to work collaboratively with the town, residents and other stakeholders to make this burial ground a point of pride for Niagara on-the-Lake.
Members of the Friends of the Forgotten, (which includes George Webber, Niki Walker, René Berschi, Cheryl Morris, Audrey Pellett, Sarah Kaufman, Lissa Paul, Betty Knight, Jamie Knight, Juliet Dunn, Barbara Worthy and Kiera Sangster) are excited to be the only officially endorsed group working to fundraise for the burial site.
The town is accepting donations for the site on our behalf and issuing tax receipts, as well. To donate, please visit notl.com.
For more information on our group, its effort and how to contribute, please see the Friends of the Forgotten website at negroburialgroundnotl.org.
Friends of the Forgotten
NOTL
