THE KINGSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
and
THE CATARAQUI CEMETERY COMPANY
invite you to attend
THE ANNUAL SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE
at the gravesite of
SIR JOHN A MACDONALD
on Sunday, 6th June 1982 at 2.30 p.m.
Dear Friends,
This year marks the 91st anniversary of the death of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s First Prime Minister and Father of Confederation.
Each year, on 6th June, a memorial service is held at Sir John’s gravesite in Cataraqui Cemetery. This is a fitting tribute to the man who served his constituency and his country with such honour and distinction. It is an occasion when we can pause and reflect on the contributions made by Sir John A., his colleagues and numerous Canadians since who have made this great country what it is today.
I can think of no better way to acknowledge the debt of gratitude we owe to those who have gone before, than by taking the time to honour the memory of the man whose vision and imagination paved the way for others to follow.
The service at Cataraqui Cemetery begins at 2.30 p.m. on 6th June. I hope you can be there.
Yours sincerely
Flora MacDonald PC MP
Kingston and the Islands
ORDER OF SERVICE
Chairman’s Remarks: Bogart W. Trumpour
Prayer and Scripture Reading: Bishop J. B. Creeggan
President’s Remarks: R.H. Haslewood
Address: Lt. Col. Gordon D. Leggett, Chairman, Clan Donald Council of Canada.
Laying of Wreaths: Fort Henry Guard
Lament: Piper Robert H. Macdonald, The Clan Donald Society
Last Post-Silence-Reveille: Fort Henry Guard
Benediction: Monsignor J.G. Hanley
March Off: Fort Henry Guard
CUIMHNICH (REMEMBER)
WREATH LAYING
In lieu of wreaths cash donations to the Fund for the Restoration of the Sir John A. Macdonald Gravesite were made by the Liberal Association of Kingston and the Islands, and the Clan Donald Society of Canada.
Following the service, a celebration of the Restoration of this special gravesite will be held in the upper garden. We pay tribute to the skilled craftsmen, the contributors and the dedicated Committee.
“We should now be proud of Sir John A.’s gravesite. Kingstonians do care about Sir John A. Macdonald and his gravesite. A few years ago authorities were chided about the condition of the plot in Cataraqui Cemetery.
A few weeks ago Vi Robinson of Van Order Drive collected $49 from the senior citizens and 50 cents from the postman, for the Sir John A. Macdonald Memorial Fund. She delivered it to Isobel Trumpour, chairman of the committee which was set up two years ago to preserve and maintain the burial site.
Today, the money is coming in from individuals and groups who are concerned about the memory of our first prime minister. There are the dollar bills from ordinary citizens and the large cheques from organisations and corporations. The Ontario Heritage Foundation granted up to $7,200 to assist with the restoration and landscaping. The city will contribute $2,150 and Kingston Township may match this grant. Thursday afternoon, Michele Young, public affairs co-ordinator for Manufacturer’s Life, visited the site of the grave of the company’s first president, and confirmed a $5,000 donation to the fund.
The fund objective of $20,000 is within sight and already most of the improvements have been made including cleaning of the gravestones, construction of a flagstone path and landscaping by Mark D. Fluhrer. “It looks super,” says Isobel Trumpour, who spearheaded the project on behalf of the Kingston Historical Society and Cataraqui Cemetery. She has picked up useful suggestions from a piper who attended the annual graveside service, the curious school children who came on tours, and acknowledges the extensive professional input and work of the committee members. John Howard, cemetery superintendent; Marjorie Simmons, cemetery president and first vice-president of the Ontario Genealogical Society, Ray Haslewood, KHS president and Betty Bannister, committee secretary.”
-Bill Fitsell, columnist, in The Whig-Standard of Friday, 4 June 1982 – [Reproduced from “Historic Kingston” by permission of the Kingston Historical Society, Kingston, Ontario, Canada].