Hello everyone!

Please join us for our first Speaker Night of the year.

When: Wednesday – February 19, 2025 – 7:30 PM

Where: The Coach House on the Erchless Estate (corner of King and Navy)

What: The story of St. Mary’s Pioneer Cemetery.

For those interested in Oakville history, cemeteries, and genealogical research, come hear the fascinating story of St. Mary’s Pioneer Cemetery. In 2020, Ms. Terry Murphy and Mr. Michael Johnson set themselves a goal to find out something about every stone in this park-like home to some of Oakville’s oldest residents.

The names on these monuments became people whose stories they felt deserved attention. Here lie people who weathered the crises of the past two centuries, gave birth to families, started businesses that laid the foundations of Oakville, and built the community we have inherited. The worn and broken stones called out with particular poignancy. Who were the individuals who donated their hard-earned money to erect, with such deep affection, these memorials to their loved ones?

Terry will review the “detective” tools they found most helpful in identifying many previously illegible (and even buried) stones. What began as a challenge became a labour of love, as the residents of the cemetery became family. The more they researched, the more they realized how story-rich the cemetery is and how important it is to preserve pioneer cemeteries.

Please come early as seating is limited.

See you all there!