Today, dozens of Irish Montrealers will take part in the 152nd Walk to the Stone to remember the Irish immigrants who arrived on the shores of Montreal, starting in 1847.
When Montreal’s Victoria Bridge was being built between 1854 and 1859, workers discovered a mass grave of thousands of Irish immigrants who died in the fever sheds after being quarantined with typhus. A ten-foot high boulder that had been unearthed during the excavation for the bridge was erected and inscribed in memory of those immigrants who died.
For years, the city’s Irish community has tried to convince politicians and civic leaders to build a park around the Irish Commemorative Stone, known as the Black Rock, that was installed in 1859 in honour of 6,000 Irish immigrants who died of typhus in 1847 and are believed to be buried under the rock and surrounding area.
This year, the walk holds more meaning because it was discovered earlier last week Hydro-Québec has acquired the land facing the Black Rock memorial to build a new electricity distribution station. After news about the land purchase reached local media, Mayor Denis Coderre promised to find a solution to keep the memorial park.
In a news release, Hydro-Québec said it will form a committee with the city of Montreal and representatives of the Irish community over the coming months to “plan the integration of the commemorative space in Hydro-Québec’s project.” It will also commit to archeological studies of the historic site.
“We understand the importance of this area for the Irish community and plan to show the highest respect for this important burial site,” Éric Martel, president and general manager of Hydro-Québec, was quoted as saying in the release. “We will contribute to the creation of this long-awaited commemorative park.”
Mayor Coderre said, “It is important to me that Irish community, one of the city’s founding peoples, have access to a space where it can gather to remember those who have gone before, having dreamt of the Montréal that we know today.”
Last week, a group of volunteers gathered to build and paint hundreds of wooden crosses to carry to the Black Rock today.
The Walk to the Stone is scheduled to start from St. Gabriel’s Church on Centre Street, today, Sunday, May 28 at noon.
Famine walk in Ireland remembers trip to Canada
In Ireland, the National Famine Walk will take place from May 27 to June 1. An international group of Famine scholars will follow in the footsteps of the 1,490 tenants from Denis Mahon’s Strokestown Park House estate, who were escorted by a bailiff to Dublin to ensure they boarded ship and left Ireland for Canada in 1847. This is the second year the Strokestown Famine Emigrant Walkers have organised this commemorative walk to Dublin. Read more about the walk in the Irish Times.
