Cooley Pioneer Cemetery May be Bull-dozed

The City of Hamilton has declared the recently discovered Cooley Pioneer cemetery to be an "Unapproved Cemetery." The land owners want to relocate this cemetery for the purpose of development. Many of those buried are most likely Loyalists who settled in this part of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) after 1783.

An archeology firm hired by the developers believes the cemetery might contain as many as 102 bodies, and dates from the late 1700s.

Please see notice below:

Re: Burial Site located at the Proposed Lime Kiln Road Subdivision, Part of Lots 48 & 49, Concession 2 and the Wildwood Estates 5 (Block 3, 62M-898), Part of Lot 48, Concession 2 (Formerly within the Township of Ancaster),
City of Hamilton. (Physically located in a field off Rousseaux St. between Greenravine Dr. and Lime Kiln Rd.)

Take notice that on November 30, 2004 a burial site at the above location was reported to the Registrar of the Cemeteris Act (Revised).

An investigation conducted under the provisions of the Cemeteries Act (Revised) indicates the discovery of 99 distinct grave shafts. This early pioneer cemetery circa 1786-1824, now archaeologically known as the Cooley Cemetery, is likely the original cemetery for the Ancaster community. Members of the Cooley and Hatt families are known to be buried here.

The Registrar hereby gives notice of the intention to declare the site to be an "Unapproved Cemetery," and invites representatives of persons whose remains are still interred to contact the Registrar in writing within two
weeks after May 13, 2005.

Dated at Toronto this 6th day of May 2005.
Michael D'Mello
Registrar, Cemeteries Act (Revised)
Cemeteries Regulation Unit
Ministry of Consumer and Business Services
250 Yonge Street, 32nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5B 2N5
Telephone: 416-326-8393, Fax: 416-326-8406

Contact Michael D'Mello before May 27, 2005 if you object to this cemetery being declared an unapproved cemetery, and wish the graves to remain undisturbed

Further Reading:
HERITAGE CEMETERY HOLDS 100 BODIES Author: Daniel Nolan Source: Hamilton Spectator, The (ON); 27/11/2004