Murdoch supports protection of inactive cemeteries

Heritage

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Murdoch Wants Bill 149 Bought Back for Third Reading
Today, in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP, Bill Murdoch supported MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, Jim Brownell’s Private Member’s Bill 149: An Act to Protect Ontario’s Inactive Cemeteries.

Bill 149 would protect inactive cemeteries in Ontario,” said Murdoch. “It is a good bill that makes sense. Currently, it is up to the municipalities to make sure that inactive cemeteries are protected and cared for. There is no guarantee that these cemeteries will not be purchased by land developers and relocated.”

Bill 149 was created to protect inactive cemeteries that are located throughout Ontario. Many historical societies support Bill 149 and its goal. Locally, members of these groups have contacted Murdoch asking him to voice his support on this issue.

“There are cemeteries all over Bruce-Grey that have been inactive for years,” said Murdoch. “But for many people this is the only way for them to discover who their ancestors are.The problem is that some of these cemeteries are in prime real estate locations and developers want to move the old cemeteries for new development. I think we should be protecting these areas for generations to come.”

Murdoch hopes that pressure from MPPs like himself will mean that Jim Brownwell’s bill could be sent to Committee for review and then be followed up with Third Reading, Royal Assent and become law.

For more information, please contact:

bill.murdoch@ontla.ola.org

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14/05/2009 12:33 PM

Member’s Statement

On February 19th, the Assembly passed Second Reading of Bill 149, An Act to Protect Ontario’s Inactive Cemeteries introduced by the MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry.

Since the unanimous support of this bill in second reading, my office has had numerous calls from constituents wanting to know when the bill will be sent to committee and then receive third reading and royal assent.

Bill 149 is an important bill in my riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. Like many of my fellow colleagues my riding has a number of inactive pioneer cemeteries. These cemeteries are for many people their only link to their heritage and ancestry.

Many local constituents have expressed to me their fears, over the years, of these pioneer cemeteries being ripped up or relocated as some of the cemeteries are located in prime real estate locations. Though nothing has thankfully happened so far, many constituents worry that it could.

Bill 149 would protect these pioneer cemeteries in my riding and those throughout Ontario. Bill 149 would make sure that the heritage cemeteries such as Old Durham Road Black cemetery outside of Ceylon would be protected and that important part of Grey County’s history would be kept for generations to come. The Old Durham Road Black cemetery is only one of the many pioneer cemeteries in my riding that need to be protected for generations to come.

I ask today, that the Liberals bring Bill 149 to committee and allow it to make its way to third reading.
I would also like to thank the MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, Jim Brownell for introducing such an important bill to the preservation of Ontario’s heritage.