Some volunteers, including Frank Dewtie, brought chainsaws and other equipment to help clear the cemetery of wood and debris. Photo by Matthew Bambrick /The NewsArticle contentTRENTON – A group of volunteers teamed up to help restore one of the areas oldest cemeteries. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentOn Sept. 6, a dozen people met at Riverside Cemetery on Trenton Road to clean up debris and damage caused by post-tropical storm Fiona. The event was organized by Jake Chisholm, who uploaded a video to Facebook about the project, that quickly went viral. Article contentArticle content“My partner and I would see it when going on walks,” he said. “Fiona left the cemetery begging for repairs, but there wasn’t enough attention going towards that. It’s a historic part of our community, and I want it to get the respect it deserves.”Article contentArticle contentChisholm was moved by the support he received on a post, which led him to organize the cleanup. All of the people who attended were enthusiastic to lend a hand with cleaning up the cemetery. Article content“I saw Jake’s video, and I was immediately on board,” said Emmy Tremblay, a teacher who attended the cleanup. “This is too much for one person. Fiona left too much damage for our community to ignore. It’s important to respect those who rest here eternally, which means cleaning this place up for visiting families.”Article content The Riverside Cemetery, located along the East River on Trenton Road, features stones dating back to the 1700s. Photo by Matthew Bambrick /Matthew BambrickArticle contentThe Riverside Cemetery experienced massive damage during Fiona, most of which has been unable to be cleaned up by large equipment due to the layout of the cemetery, which was built for horses and buggies. The cemetery is maintained by the Riverside Cemetery Company, who also oversee the Lorne Street and Pioneer Cemeteries. One of their trustees, Murray Biggar, has been the sole caretaker of the cemetery for 12 years.Article contentArticle content“Getting people to lend a hand here is difficult, so I’m thankful for this opportunity,” Biggar said. “This isn’t really an operating cemetery anymore; there have only been a few dozen burials here in the past few years. It was just by circumstance that I met Jake, and he offered to help.”Article contentBiggar has been moving wood and debris by the truckload by himself for the past three years. Despite his efforts, however, he says there is still much more wood clearing to be done, as well as repairs to the many stone monuments that were knocked over by Fiona.Article content“There’s far too much to get done here after Fiona, for just me to handle,” Biggar said. “There’s probably in excess of $100,000 worth of stonework and $30,000 in tree work to be done, but we simply don’t have the funding necessary for that kind of restoration.”Article content Several of the stone monuments in the Riverside Cemetery have been knocked over and damaged. Murray Biggar says the estimated damage ranges over $100,000. Photo by Matthew Bambrick /Matthew BambrickArticle contentMany brought wheelbarrows and other equipment for moving wood out of the cemetery, doing so for two hours. After the cleanup had concluded, Chisholm said he wants to come back and do more.Article content“One day won’t be enough to fully restore this place,” he said. “Fiona left so much damage, and some of it will be impossible to heal. But I’m hopeful that we can make this more than just a one-off thing. After seeing the support this got the first time, I don’t doubt we can do it.”Article content
Community bands together to repair historic Trenton cemetery
