But Lynn MacLean, former president of the Pictou County Historical Society, begs to differ. It’s why she and Lloyd Tattrie will be offering tours of the Pioneer Cemetery in New Glasgow.
She said that after multiple projects to restore, clean and beautify the final resting place for a number of notable New Glasgow residents, it’s time to swing open the new gate and let the public in.
“The last few years, we’ve been working and fundraising in support of the cemetery,” said MacLean. “Now we’re ready to show the cemetery off.”
MacLean is a member of the Friends of the Pioneer Cemetery Committee, a sub-committee of the New Glasgow Heritage Committee. Over the past few years, phase one of the restoration involved cleaning and returning of knocked-over headstones to an upright position.
Phase two and three saw the installation of a cemetery gate, interpretive panel and a bench, cement entry way and planted flowers.
The cemetery will now be open on a daily basis so people can see the improvements and stones for themselves. But even knowing the cemetery exists is half the battle.
“It’s not something that everyone knows about,” said MacLean. “There’s been no burials or funerals there since the 1870s. It’s small and out of the way.”
Around 80 deceased call the cemetery their final resting place. At least 12 were passengers aboard the Ship Hector when it landed in Pictou County in 1773.
Rev. James MacGregor, the first Presbyterian minister in Pictou County is buried at the Pioneer Cemetery. MacGregor’s descendants include a Canadian senator, MLA and lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia.
Colin McKay and his son Colin share a gravestone that reads: ‘Here lies the body of Colin McKay who departed this life in Jan. 30, 1804, in the 74th year of his age and his son Colin 1772-1850 / Both arrived Pictou 1773 on first trip of the Brig Hector.’
It’s not the first time that MacLean has offered tours between the headstones.
“I used to give tours at night and had a couple of tour guides to help out. Basically we’d go stone to stone to tell story about the people.”
MacLean originally went to the Pioneer Cemetery nearly a decade ago hoping to work on her own genealogy. She was looking for her great-great-great-great grandmother, but she wasn’t there. In the end, she was glad she discovered the cemetery for herself.
“We hope that both locals and tourists may come and check it out. There’s no charge for the tour opportunity.”
The Pictou County Roots Society will continue research on the cemetery and the stones.
Tours will be offered 1 to 3 p.m. every Wednesday starting July 2. While the gate to the Pioneer Cemetery is kept locked, keys are available to the general public through the New Glasgow Regional Police Department and New Glasgow Library.
On Twitter: @NGNewsJohn
But Lynn MacLean, former president of the Pictou County Historical Society, begs to differ. It’s why she and Lloyd Tattrie will be offering tours of the Pioneer Cemetery in New Glasgow.
She said that after multiple projects to restore, clean and beautify the final resting place for a number of notable New Glasgow residents, it’s time to swing open the new gate and let the public in.
“The last few years, we’ve been working and fundraising in support of the cemetery,” said MacLean. “Now we’re ready to show the cemetery off.”
MacLean is a member of the Friends of the Pioneer Cemetery Committee, a sub-committee of the New Glasgow Heritage Committee. Over the past few years, phase one of the restoration involved cleaning and returning of knocked-over headstones to an upright position.
Phase two and three saw the installation of a cemetery gate, interpretive panel and a bench, cement entry way and planted flowers.
The cemetery will now be open on a daily basis so people can see the improvements and stones for themselves. But even knowing the cemetery exists is half the battle.
“It’s not something that everyone knows about,” said MacLean. “There’s been no burials or funerals there since the 1870s. It’s small and out of the way.”
Around 80 deceased call the cemetery their final resting place. At least 12 were passengers aboard the Ship Hector when it landed in Pictou County in 1773.
Rev. James MacGregor, the first Presbyterian minister in Pictou County is buried at the Pioneer Cemetery. MacGregor’s descendants include a Canadian senator, MLA and lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia.
Colin McKay and his son Colin share a gravestone that reads: ‘Here lies the body of Colin McKay who departed this life in Jan. 30, 1804, in the 74th year of his age and his son Colin 1772-1850 / Both arrived Pictou 1773 on first trip of the Brig Hector.’
It’s not the first time that MacLean has offered tours between the headstones.
“I used to give tours at night and had a couple of tour guides to help out. Basically we’d go stone to stone to tell story about the people.”
MacLean originally went to the Pioneer Cemetery nearly a decade ago hoping to work on her own genealogy. She was looking for her great-great-great-great grandmother, but she wasn’t there. In the end, she was glad she discovered the cemetery for herself.
“We hope that both locals and tourists may come and check it out. There’s no charge for the tour opportunity.”
The Pictou County Roots Society will continue research on the cemetery and the stones.
Tours will be offered 1 to 3 p.m. every Wednesday starting July 2. While the gate to the Pioneer Cemetery is kept locked, keys are available to the general public through the New Glasgow Regional Police Department and New Glasgow Library.
On Twitter: @NGNewsJohn
