04/27/2025
Dear Friends,
We are continuing to reach out to you on behalf of the Riverview Cemetery Committee, from Scotstown, Quebec. Like many of you, we feel a strong connection to the cemetery, as many of our loved ones are buried there.
Before we explain the reasoning behind this post, let us digress for a short moment and tell you a personal story that compelled us to want to help. A few years ago, one of our committee members was visiting family who lived in the French community of St. Theophile, which is in the Beauce region of Quebec. During this visit, they came across an abandoned cemetery that consisted of over-grown bushes and grass, and several broken tombstones, all bearing the names of Irish men, women, and children. The writing on the tombstones was barely legible, but some did tell stories of whole families, wiped out by illness, children who perished in a house fire, or older people who had simply died of natural causes. This area had previously been settled by Irish immigrants who came to Canada in search of a better life and for reasons unknown, they had all left the area and settled elsewhere. With no descendants still in the area to ensure the upkeep of this sacred place, it was left to the perils of nature, which had not been kind to it. How sad that these people’s final resting place was in such ruin, and they were forgotten, as if they had never existed. We would never want this to happen to the final resting place of our families and loved ones at Riverview, thus the reason for this post.
You are seeing this post because you somehow have a connection to this cemetery and the Scotstown and surrounding communities. We need your help. For several years, the cemetery committee has managed to pay for the upkeep of the cemetery using generous donations from people whose loved ones’ final resting place is at Riverview. Unfortunately, as time goes on, these donations are becoming fewer and fewer and we now find ourselves in a near deficit situation with few funds left to pay for the upkeep of the cemetery and much needed repairs to the iron fence surrounding it. We are reaching out to ask you to consider making a donation to help us meet costs. All donations, no matter how big or small, will be much appreciated.
Should you wish to help, please send your cheque to Riverview Cemetery, care of the treasurer, Linda Irving at 144 Coleman, Scotstown Québec J0B 3B0 or by e-transfer to [email protected] All donations of $50 or more will be entitled to a tax receipt.
Sincerely,
The Riverview Cemetery Committee,
Michael MacAulay, Janet MacAulay, Roxanne Lloyd, Linda Irving, Lisa Irving, Leslie MacLeod, Nancy Coleman, Réal Couture
