True and Fascinating Canadian History
The Police Cemetery. Dawson City. YT
I am very appreciative to Ottawa Vet Reg. #22007, Ira Saunders for this photo (above) of the Police Cemtery in Dawson City, which Ira thinks he snapped in October 1957 or maybe 1958.
In the photo, one will note 15 grave sites - they contain a mix of deceased NWMP and RNWMP and one RCMP member. Vet Saunders said that at the time of his visit to the Cemetery, he was able to read 10 names on the various markers but the remaining 5 markers could not be read clearly.
In more recent years, restoration work was kindly done in the Police Cemetery by the RCMP and the photo below shows how the Cemetery looks today. 2010.
|
|
RANK
|
NAME
|
DIED |
AGE |
|
RNWMP
|
Sergt.
|
E.J.J. Smith |
Oct. 7, 1910
|
55 |
|
RNWMP |
Cst.
|
M.J. Fitzgerald |
Aug. 27, 1913
|
37
|
|
RNWMP |
Sergt.
|
A.L. Holmes
|
Jan. 12, 1905
|
41 |
|
NWMP
|
Sergt.
|
A.W. Jackson |
Jan. 29, 1902 |
34 |
|
RNWMP
|
Cst.
|
Alard Wright |
Oct. 28, 1905.
|
35
|
|
RNWMP |
Cst.
|
Wm. F. Richards
|
Feb. 13, 1907
|
41
|
|
NWMP |
Cst.
|
Edward Flett
|
Feb. 15, 1904
|
20
|
|
NWMP |
Cst.
|
J.M. Burns
|
Sep. 1, 1903 |
2? |
|
NWMP |
Cst.
|
Wm. Linus Poter |
Oct. 23, 1899?
|
20 |
|
RCMP |
Cst.
|
J.P. Harnett |
Sep. 7, 1935
|
28 |
In late November 2016, I received the following note from Reverend Byron Woolcock who recalled that he had once held a Prayer Service at Dawson's Pioneer Police Cemetery for about 4 or 5 victims who had drowned and these (cremated) deceased people
"Dear Sir,
I am looking for any source for information on the reburial of NWMP remains at Dawson City, probably in 1964 or five. These members were drowned while fishing with nets at Carcross I believe, likely in the early 1900's -- and likely fishing for food for the sled dogs?.
I was privileged to conduct this reburial in Dawson where I was ordained fifty years ago.
Our son Michael is a member serving in New Glascow, NS. We are, of course, very proud of him.
I would appreciate any information you have on this event. I had thought it was in The Quarterly but not able to locate it yet.
I believe this reburial of bones was in the RCMP plot in Dawson City?
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Byron.
The Rev. Byron Woolcock,
Madoc, ON."
I called and spoke with Reverend Woolcock to discuss the victims, and we agreed that the drowning victims might have been civilians, but in any event that I had no record of who the victims might have been. Reverend Woolcock said he will continue to explore newspaper account of the burials to discover more precisely who the victims were. (JJHealy). 2016
