True and Fascinating Canadian History
Honour Roll # 190
Brookside Cemetery. Bridgewater, NS.
RCMP Graves Nova Scotia
by Tom Lowe. Vets NS
Dear Joe;
Over the years, our Vets have taken an exceptional interest in the inspection and care of our deceased members graves which are located throughout the entire Province of Nova Scotia. Some graves have been repaired. Many new graves have been photographed and our records have been entirely updated.
Malagawatch Cemetery. River Denys, NS.
I will send along a CD to you within the next two weeks -- two categories of graves will be included.
The first category contains over 300 graves in Nova Scotia and each of them have some kind of RCMP identification on them. Back in the 1970's and 1980's, the NS Vets only had policy and authority from the CO to inspect and care for graves which were identified with an RCMP marking.
Yarmouth Mountain Cemetery. Yarmouth, NS.
The second category contains about 80 or so other graves which were not identified with any RCMP markings. With additional research, I found that the [unidentified] graves are mostly occupied by deceased members who retired with over 20 yrs service, but after they died, their estate did not apply for a marked stone so unfortunately they did not get one. One of my goals is to discuss this situation with the present CO and determine if, over time, the NS Vets can have them properly marked and included on our Master List and to be annually inspected.
In my review, I found that many of the the Nova Scotia graves were already recorded in your database but I have been able to add more details.
Over the next few years, all of the NS graves will be inspected, photographed, and GPS co-ordinates supplied for inclusion on your site.
St. Anne's Cemetery. Glace Bay, NS.
Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Lower Sackville, NS.
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Honour Roll #230
St. Thomas Cemetery. Fall River, NS.
Just so that you are all aware, I started a project under the umbrella of the Graves Inspection Program, identified as: RCMP Graves Discovery Project.
The purpose is to locate, identify, and to the extent possible, locate a next of kin (NOK).
We expect that to be the most difficult aspect, and the C.O. made that an objective before any changes could be make to an existing grave marker. My able assistant with this project is Ross MacKay, who has over 40 years of genealogy experience and is very successful in finding distant relatives.
I intent to add the few names from the “Original 300” file to the list.
The C.O. has been very supportive in providing some funding that will allow us to find some means of marking all sites in the Province, whether with pensionable service or not.
Those with pensionable service will receive a “Regimental Marble Foot Stone”, as depicted by the example seen below of Reg.#11561, Arthur Patrick Beatty.
Heritage Memorials of Nova Scotia has created the footstone and installs them at a very reasonable rate.
Others will receive an RCMP crest, or varying sizes, and while marked, those will not be entitled to repair and maintenance at government expense.
However, our industrious inspecting members across the Province, are very adept at extending themselves in the best interests of the Force, and in remembrance of all our deceased members.
Contributor: Tom Lowe, Vets NS.
December, 2017
Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, NS.
Contributor: Tom Lowe. Vets NS. 2017
