Martindale Pioneer Cemetery, Quebec
Honouring Our Ancestors Who Contributed to the History of the Irish in Canada
This page will be updated occasionally and features messages from our readers, news updates, photos, and any additional information shared by others with connections to Martindale Pioneer Cemetery. We would love to hear from you. Contact us via our contact page.
Thoughts....Ideas....Messages....News
DUE to an incident in January 2021 when someone decided to drive an All Terrain Vehicle into this sacred burial ground, a new fence has been put in place to protect against further desecration.
A Message from Elaine Gannon
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Liette Hickey for her work installing a highly effective black barrier to protect the Martindale Pioneer Cemetery. Hopefully, it will deter anyone again with an All Terrain Vehicle from driving over this sacred burial ground of our ancestors.
Special thanks also to Maura De Freitas who gathered all the photos and various articles over the years about the Martindale Pioneer Cemetery and assembled it all into an accessible and professional website. It was painstaking but rewarding work for Maura and it offers easier access for future generations wishing to research their ancestors.
I know if Martin Brown, Eddie McLaughlin and Bernice McSheffrey were still with us they would also be very proud of both Liette and Maura for their work.
With sincere thanks,
Elaine Gannon (Catholine Butler)
Someone is Watching Over
our Beloved Ancestors
On January 16, 2021, we learned that someone driving an ATV who is obviously ignorant of the significance of the Martindale Pioneer Cemetery decided to do wheel spins over the graves of our ancestors.
This was the message we received: "To the person doing doughnuts in the pioneer cemetery at the Celtic Cross at 12:45 AM. Please show more respect and consideration. For one: most of Low’s ancestors have been buried there. A cemetery is not a place to drive your quad. Two: There are families on Martindale - trying to sleep. Three: there is a curfew in effect and quad drivers are not exempt."
While this news was very distressing, we were also very gratified to learn that the person who reported this incident performs a very significant ceremony every year on Christmas Eve.
This was the message shared: "We live just across the road from the Pioneer Cemetery in Martindale, hence we spend a lot of time looking out at it and thinking on how it can be improved to be more accessible and safer for visitors.
"My partner is often speaking with the folks who visit as he has a great interest in history and the history of the area and can remember all the historical facts and dates.
"He also leaves a lantern lit at the Cross each Christmas And New Year’s Eve... and maybe a wee dram of whiskey for the ancestors too...They’re not our ancestors, but their stories are similar to some of our own and so we feel it’s important honour them."
This heartfelt message brought tears to our eyes and the following photos show this wonderful act of kindness.
Perhaps it will inspire others to follow and make it a community event to honour the ancestors, while helping to educate others and bring more awareness.
