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Friends of the Forgotten in Niagara-on-the-Lake was formed to honour the final resting place of Niagara Baptist Church parishioners, who were part of the Niagara-on-the-Lake historic Black Community, by transforming the current unremarkable site into a memorial landscape.
The Niagara Baptist Church burial ground is a point of pride for NOTL as a respectfully restored, serene, memorial and historical site that honours the parishioners buried there, their role in the town’s heritage, and the importance of Black history in NOTL.
George Webber - Friends of the Forgotten
Discover important burial sites that we will be addressing in the near future.
Hunter Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake
St. Davids, Niagara-on-the-Lake
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The Niagara Baptist Church Burial Ground was established in 1829 and abandoned in 1878.
The Niagara Baptist Church Burial Ground is an open field, below which lie the bodies of 15 known Canadian settlers and their headstones.
The land is now owned by the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and governed by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.
The current state of the cemetery is certainly not what John Oakley (former British soldier turned teacher and minister) would have foreseen
Get to know our dedicated volunteers.
Our goal is to bring the same level of attention, care and respect to the the Niagara Baptist Church Burial Ground as is given to other significant historical sites in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Engage professionals and historians to properly restore the burial ground.
To create educational pieces that authentically convey Black history in NOTL.
Search for living descendants in Canada and elsewhere.
Identify the individuals buried on the site.
Friends of the Forgotten partners with Shaw Festival Theatre.
Rotary Club of NOTL becomes first Friend of the Forgotten. Thank you for your generosity.
Niagara Baptist Church Burial Ground Stage 1 Archeological Assessment Complete.
Friends of the Forgotten gets council support in Niagara-on-the-Lake effort to clean up inactive cemeteries.
The Niagara Baptist Church congregation was established in 1829. By the late 1840s, the church’s membership was predominantly Black.
The history of the Niagara Baptist Church was documented by Natasha Henry, Assistant Professor, African Canadian History at the university of Toronto and president of the Ontario Black History Society. Her research uncovered the names of at least 15 people known to be buried in the graveyard.
Learn more about Niagara-on-the-Lake's Black History
R.I.P.
R.I.P.
R.I.P.
The time is always right to do what’s right.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.
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Keep up-to-date with our latest news.
New QR code sign installed at the Niagara Baptist Church Burial Ground
We look forward to hearing from you.