Cantley 1889 Articles
The following article first appeared in The Echo of Cantley Volume 32 no 10, May 2021. This article is made available for the enjoyment of others with the express permission of the Echo of Cantley.
The Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery (1842 - 1920) Heritage Site
A memorial to Cantley’s early pioneers and Cantley’s first European settler, Andrew Blackburn
By Margaret Phillips
Cantley 1889 recognizes the Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery as a significant Cantley heritage site, of interest to the Municipality of Cantley and the Outaouais region. Few family cemeteries remain in Canada. The Blackburn family’s burial plot is significant because it is one of the oldest and largest in the region.
The Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery is important to Cantley as a monument to Cantley’s founding settler, Andrew Blackburn (1770-1855) and his family. It represents Cantley’s 19th century early farming era.
For its story, visit The Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery
Awareness and Protection
Modern development has obliterated many of Cantley’s heritage structures and sites. Sadly, few remain today.
Last May, our municipality permitted an iconic Cantley landmark to be demolished. St Andrew’s Church was built by our ancestors in 1877. It was the heart of community life for Cantley protestants until 2016. Now gone forever! The Cantley public, regional heritage associations and media were outraged.
The church’s demise stimulated creative ideas for sustainable re-use of the building by simply moving it across the road to the Municipality’s newly purchased Parc des glaciations site. Unfortunately, the Municipality made no effort to inform the public ahead of time. Without public discussion, there was no hope of saving one of Cantley’s oldest heritage structures.
Cantley 1889 is determined a similar fate does not happen to the now-vulnerable Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery. In 2020, Cantley 1889 learned of a new housing development planned on land adjacent to it, putting the site at considerable risk. Because of this, we prepared documents necessary for a Demande de Citation hoping to achieve provincial legal heritage protection for the cemetery. Before this can proceed further, our municipal council must approve it. We submitted the documents in July 2020. We are still waiting to present it to councillors.
Good news! Last September, QAHN (Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network) granted funding to Cantley 1889 to create a descriptive plaque for the cemetery - an important step towards our ultimate goal of acquiring its legal heritage protection. We are very grateful to QAHN for its encouragement and financial support.
The plaque honours Cantley’s first pioneer family while telling the historical significance of the cemetery. After its official “unveiling” (tentatively on July 17June 12th ), the Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery will remain permanently open to the public.
Cantley’s heritage - why should you care?
Our natural environment is our legacy - to respect and protect. Similarly, our community’s heritage is our legacy, inherited from those who lived here before us. Whether cultural or built, our heritage enriches our community with a unique sense of shared identity. All of us who live in Cantley share the same historical roots. They connect us. They help us learn more about where we live. They can nurture community spirit. By protecting our heritage, we are respecting those who lived here before us. We are preserving it for Cantley’s future generations.
How can you help?
Show support for Cantley 1889’s work. We encourage you to become a member. Visit: Membership ($15/one year; $25/two years). Donations also appreciated.
Show support for efforts to protect the Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery. Request your name be added to our “Friends of the Blackburn Pioneer Cemetery” list by emailing: info.cantley1889@gmail.com. You will receive information and an invitation to the cemetery’s official opening.
Vote wisely. The recent projet de loi 69 gives municipalities new powers regarding heritage. Is this a good thing? Fortunately, now the updated Cultural Heritage Act requires municipalities to issue public notices, hold consultations and inform the province of demolition permit applications for houses built before 1940.
