The Mayor of Southgate says the township needs to be respectful of everyone's wants and needs when it comes to an upcoming zoning bylaw amendment concerning a pioneer cemetery.
Old Order Mennonites have applied to merge two properties at Southgate Road 14 and Southgate Sideroad 61, which is between the small communities of Yeovil and Hopeville. One of those properties is a very small cemetery, a property that has been purchased from the United Church of Canada.
Shortly before a meeting to propose the zoning bylaw amendment, council learned that the cemetery property has at least two known burial sites, but also that a black pioneer named William Jones, a schoolteacher, may have been buried outside of the property line in 1878 for unknown reasons. This was found to be an anecdote in "While We Still Remember: A History of Egremont Township 1840-1983" by the Egremont Historical Committee.
"We want to be sensitive to everyone's wants and needs, and make sure we pay proper respect to those that have gone before us." said Brian Milne, who confirms that the applicants will have to satisfy all authorities, including the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, before the township allows any project on the property to go ahead. "This is a good balance making sure we're respecting those that have come before us while recognizing the needs of those that are here now."
Milne says the zoning approval will be discussed at council within the next couple of months.
