Port Medway artists raising funds for cemetery restoration

Due to its age, the Old Port Medway Cemetery needs to be restored, explained artist Fran Whitelaw.

The fundraiser takes place Aug. 10–12. The art show will begin with an opening reception Aug. 10 in Port Medway from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Whitelaw said this is the first art show of its kind for Port Medway.

On Saturday and Sunday, the exhibition will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with cemetery tours starting at 1:15 p.m. on both days.

The warehouse in Port Medway next to Port Medway Lighthouse Park will house the art show.

“We expect to transform it into an artists’ space, “ said Whitelaw. “It will be exciting to see.”

The site is unique, being one of the oldest cemeteries in the area, said her husband Bob Whitelaw, who is on the Port Medway Cemeteries Committee, which is overseeing the restoration effort.

The first written record of a cemetery in Port Medway is dated 1786, he said.

However, the oldest stone to survive is from 1783.

The Port Medway Cemeteries Committee is a provincially registered not for profit society with “a handful” of volunteers.

The committee members would like to begin restoring the cemetery but first needs to raise money.

Whitelaw said they would like to hire a consultant about the restoration process to avoid damaging the stones.

“We’ve got a wish list,” he said, that includes stabilizing stones, probing for buried stones and bringing in topsoil.

They also want to map and document the entire cemetery.

There is “substantial” shoreline erosion,” but that is not their focus at this time, he added.

Shoreline protection was installed in the early 1990s after graves “toppled off the cliff,” he explained.

Port Medway residents have even found bones along the beach.

Artist Rachel Summers said the artists are excited about the show and already use Port Medway for inspiration.

She added they hope to make the cemetery fundraiser an annual event.

The Port Medway Cemeteries Committee will receive 25 per cent or more of each piece of artwork sold.

Artwork by Ben Howell Davis, Janet Clattenburg, Lori Covington, Susan Feindel, Rachel Summers, Martine Vermeulen, Marianna Weeks, Fran Whitelaw, and John Whitelaw will be on display.

Donations are also welcome.