First stage of archaeological assessment complete for Black settler burial ground in Niagara-on-the-Lake

The first stage of the archaeological assessment of the Niagara Baptist Church Burial Ground (formerly known as the Negro Burial Ground) in Niagara-on-the-Lake has been completed, and the findings should be presented to town council this month. 

Friends of the Forgotten, a citizen committee working on and collecting donations for the Negro Burial Ground Project, funded the Town-commissioned assessment. According to a news release, the committee was formed to honour the final resting place of Niagara Baptist Church parishioners who were part of the Niagara-on-the-Lake historic Black community. 

In a news release, the committee said the stage 1 assessment is the first step required by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) to make improvements to the property. 

The study, conducted by Archaeological Research Associates Ltd., was commissioned by the Town after Ontario resident James Russell, who recently held a hunger strike in the cemetery, asked the town to restore the headstones last spring.

At an April 11 council meeting, Marnie Cluckie, the town’s chief administrative officer, said the municipality needs to follow several steps and seek approval from a range of authorities, including the Province and the BAO, before seeking out and restoring the headstones.

In a news release, Friends of the Forgotten said the first assessment includes information about the area’s geography and history, the site’s archaeological potential, and strategies to proceed to the next steps. 

“The findings may not provide new details on the site,” said George Webber, chair of the Friends of the Forgotten Committee, in a statement. 

“But we are confident the study will officially confirm the importance of the property and help determine the best course of action to proceed with its revitalization. We are looking forward to the staff’s report to council.” 

According to Friends of the Forgotten, the cemetery was established in 1829, abandoned in 1878 and vandalized in the 1950s. 

It’s currently an open field owned by the town and governed by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO).

Friends of the Forgotten say a formal Stage 2 archaeological assessment would have to be approved by council and then commissioned by the Town under the guidelines of the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and the BAO. 

Funding for a second archaeological assessment has not yet been secured. 

As for what advocates hope to see in the future, the committee says some options for revitalizing the site include creating a memorial, confirming the interments, mapping and possibly recovering any potential headstones. The group hopes to transform the burial ground into a “point of pride for NOTL” as a memorial that honours the parishioners buried there and their role in the town’s heritage. 

“As we continue to learn more about the process, we recognize the many steps involved and the potential costs of each one,” Webber said. 

“To fundraise for this project, we need to have specific outcomes and timelines. We also feel strongly that community input and support need to be gathered ahead of each step.” 

Friends of the Forgotten say they are conducting research to better understand the site’s role in the Black history of Niagara and learn more about the people who are believed to be buried on the grounds. 

“Discussions are underway with organizations in other jurisdictions, including St. Catharines, to gain knowledge on restoration efforts that are underway on other historic burial grounds,” the news release reads.