Cover up: Volunteers protect historic Halifax headstones from winter weather

A gravestone at the Old Burying Ground in Halifax is pictured. (Courtesy: Craig Ferguson)

When Edward Cornwallis arrived in Halifax in 1749, he immediately had to find a spot to put a body. A person had fallen out of a boat and needed to be buried.

Craig Ferguson, author of the book “Dead in Halifax," said Cornwallis opened what would come to be known as the Old Burying Ground, which would house the deceased of the burgeoning colonial town and even those who participated in the Napoleonic Wars for close to a century.

“The Old Burying Ground was more like a public utility than anything else,” said Ferguson, a board member with the non-profit foundation that looks after the site. “They’re very matter-of-fact about the manner of death at that time.”

There aren’t many regular mourners who visit the Old Burying Ground these days, mostly due to the fact that the last burial at the site happened more than 150 years ago. However, earlier this week Ferguson and a group of dedicated volunteers showed up to give the collection of historic headstones much-needed attention.

Ferguson and his team placed covers over roughly 40 gravestones to protect them from the incoming winter weather. The snow, ice, and general cold of the season do no favours for the old grave markers.

“We have a map that shows us which gravestones are in need of protection over the winter,” Ferguson said. “It’s a little bit of a treasure hunt to find a particular gravestones.

“The oldest gravestones are more than 270 years old and some of them look remarkably pristine.”

Ferguson has been writing about cemeteries in Halifax for close to a decade and his book explores the lives of people who are buried across the downtown core of the city.

“I was curious about the individual people and I learned you can learn the history of a city through cemeteries,” he said. “It reveals the city to you in a different way.”

Ferguson said the gravestone covers use Tyvek, which is waterproof and breathable.

“They keep snow and ice from accumulating on the gravestones so water doesn’t get in the cracks in the stones and freeze,” he said. “Water causes the stones to erode and de-laminate. A number of the stones have had to be repaired over the years.”

The Old Burying Ground closed on Nov. 11 and it will reopen to the public in May. Ferguson said the foundation plans to do an audit in the spring to see if other gravestones need further protections.

“Some of the gravestones are the only record we have of people who lived in colonial Halifax,” Ferguson said. “I think of it as an outdoor museum for people.

“Our role is to get people to appreciate the history of the city. We encourage people to use it as a quiet place of reflection.”

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