Montreal’s Walk to the Stone, which has taken place on the last Sunday in May for almost 150 years, must be delayed two weeks this year until Sunday, June 14. Walk organizers recently learned the Tour de l’Île de Montréal cycling event on May 31 takes precedence. The following Sunday was also ruled out because of the Grand Prix.
The walk to the Irish Commemorative Stone — the Black Rock, organized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, is held annually to honour and remember the thousands of Irish immigrants who died and were buried in the area where the Black Rock stands today at the foot of Montreal’s Victoria Bridge.
During the mid-19th century, workers constructing the Victoria Bridge across the St. Lawrence River discovered a mass grave in Windmill Point where victims of the typhus epidemic of 1847 had been quarantined in fever sheds. The workers, many of whom were of Irish descent, were unsettled by the discovery and wanted to create a memorial to ensure the grave, which held the coffins of 6,000 Irish immigrants, would not be forgotten. They set up a large black rock.
The organizers of the walk hope that people will still come for the walk this year. If interested in participating, send a note to info@ferguskeyes.com, indicating the number of people who will join you. You may also indicate your participation on the Support Park Project & Walk to the Stone Facebook page.
Thanks to Fergus V. Keyes of the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation for the heads up.
