Black Settlement Burial Ground upgrades will start in June
Burial ground is resting place for many black loyalists, refugees who came to the Saint John
Work to upgrade the Black Settlement Burial Ground in Willow Grove will get underway next month.
The cemetery, which was founded in 1831, is the resting place of many black loyalists and black refugees from the United States, who came to the Saint John area during the war of 1812.
Ralph Thomas, the president of Prude Inc. (Pride of Race, Unity and Dignity through Education), says volunteers have been keeping the burial ground tidy for years.
But with 2015 marking the 200th anniversary of the arrival of black refugees to the city, he says they wanted to do more.
"We decided that we'd spruce it back up again. Bring it back to what it used to look like. Then add a few things that would say, 'Here's who was here,'" Thomas said.
Thomas, who grew up in Willow Grove, says some of the work the group wants to do includes adding memorial plaques, replacing the stairs and fixing a replica of a church that stands at the site.
He says members hope the upgrades will spark a new interest in the region's black history.
Greg Marquis, a history professor at the University of New Brunswick said he believes there is a growing desire to promote the province's black history.
"It will bring a visible reminder of the black presence and that will lead to other projects and greater awareness," Marquis said.