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| Original News Release |
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| Original News Release |
Three thousand and thirty-seven persons with disabilities
who died while residing in Woodlands or Essondale (now Riverview) institutions
were buried in the former Woodlands Cemetery between 1920 and 1958.
The cemetery officially closed in 1977, when the grave
markers were removed, ostensibly in order not to upset residents of the
facility overlooking the cemetery at the time. Unfortunately, over the ensuing
decades, many grave markers were misplaced or used as building materials in
projects such as a barbecue patio on the Woodlands grounds and a retaining wall
in the nearby ravine.
Nine grave markers were left in their original locations.
These have acted as sentinels, keeping watch over the site until the memory of
those buried here could be restored.
In 1999, the BC Self Advocacy Foundation and the BC
Association for Community Living, with the support of the provincial
government, began planning the Woodlands Memorial Garden.
Over 500 grave markers were recovered, cleaned, and set
into memorial walls. Thirty-four black granite panels also set into these walls
bear the names of every person buried in the former cemetery. The long wall on
the northwest side of the site incorporates 200 more grave markers found during
construction.
Woodlands Memorial Garden incorporates the theme of
remembering and celebrating the lives of people with developmental disabilities
and mental illness who lived and died in institutions. The memory of these
people is meant to inspire visitors to the garden to include and value all
people, whether at home, at work, or at play in B.C. communities.
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contact: |
Communications Director Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services 250 287-2699 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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