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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday October 17, 2008 - 3 It takes a lot of work to preserve the past Continued from page 1 of the large monument type made up of a spire cemented onto a main stone base. Over the 100 years many of these graves have been in place, the cement holding them together has disintegrated, placing the spire in danger of either falling over and being damaged or harming someone unlucky enough to be present. This past Sunday, a man in Gatineau, Quebec was killed in just such an accident. Town staff note that qualified "These monuments are a lasting legacy of the pioneers of Oakville and will be carefully preserved and cared for. As we repair the monuments, we will be respectful of the families of those laid to rest." Chris Mark, Town of Oakville Director of Parks and Open Space Terry Whelan monument specialists have temporarily placed the stones on the ground until they can be properly repaired in 2009. "The Town is responsible for the preservation, stabilization and restoration of markers and monuments under the Cemeteries Act," said Chris Mark, Director of Parks and Open Spaces. "These monuments are a lasting legacy of the pioneers of Oakville and will be carefully preserved and cared for. As we repair the monuments, we will be respectful of the families of those laid to rest." Among the grounded monuments is that of Rebecca Chisholm, the wife of the founder of Oakville, for whom Rebecca Street is named. As with all of the affected monuments, the spire has been placed on two wooden planks on the ground and wrapped with an orange ribbon. "Looks like the people doing this know what they're doing," said Terry Whelan, a local history buff who frequently visits Oakville's cemeteries., where he conducts research into the town's pioneer history. Whelan has been a staunch critic of the Town in the past for the deteriorating conditions he finds among Oakville's gravesites. However, for this particular project, he and the Town are on the same page. "It's definitely a step in the right direction," he said. "I just hope they keep it up and when they're done the monuments, they can move over and start work on the headstones." While he's happy to see that the monuments are being preserved, Whelan still feels there are some problems with the Town's procedures with regard to cemeteries. In particular, he wants the Town to cease its use of heavy equipment in the pioneer cemeteries, which he claims destroys historic graves every year. Whelan said more care has to be taken, gesturing to where a headstone had been knocked over by the side of the road. "They just don't get it. You don't drive over people's graves." Whelan is calling on the Town to use snow flags in the winter to mark the roads so the snowplows don't hit the graves. Failing that, he suggests the Town use a snow blower to minimize cemetery damage. The Town will begin conservation treatments and restoration at seven Town-owned cemetery locations in 2009. 200 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville · 905.842.0232 · www.burrowsclothiers.com