Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Ground-penetrating radar used to restore NOTL burial ground

First Published:

Ground-penetrating radar is being used at a burial ground on Mississauga St. in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

As the graves stand now, those who pass by might never realize that several African Americans who escaped slavery in the U.S. are buried there.

James Michael Russell has been visiting the burial ground for decades and was always saddened by the fact that up to 47 people might be buried here but their graves are not marked in any way. Their names and stories are lost.

Russel has donated $2,500 of his own money to find the graves and identify the people.

Currently, only three headstones stand on the entire plot of land. Organizers say some of the headstones may have sunken into the ground and some were stolen.

The radar will map out the area and identify anomalies in the ground.

Steve Watson is the ground-penetrating radar technician who has worked on many historical burial sites. He, along with the Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, say these sites must be acknowledged.

To identify the people buried here, Russell says he will have to dig through Baptist archives at McMaster University, as there once was a Baptist church on the land.

The process could take years, but Russell is hopeful that respect and dignity will be restored to the important site.

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