William Crooks
Historian Julien Bazile and longtime volunteer Patrick Wickham stand beside the weathered tombstone of Major Henry Beckett at St. Peter’s Cemetery, the city’s oldest burial ground. Beckett, a key figure in Sherbrooke’s early development, is one of many prominent pioneers interred at the site, now the focus of renewed restoration efforts.

Community calls for restoration of St. Peter’s cemetery in Sherbrooke

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The oldest cemetery in Sherbrooke has become the focus of renewed community concern and effort, as volunteers, historians, and church officials work to bring attention—and resources—to its care. St. Peter’s Anglican Cemetery, located off Prospect Street, is home to the final resting places of many of Sherbrooke’s early settlers and historical figures. Yet in recent years, it has fallen into visible disrepair, prompting a grassroots movement to reverse the trend.

Tipped headstones, overgrown vegetation, and reports of vandalism have galvanized local residents, including longtime volunteer caretaker Patrick Wickham, who has been quietly tending to the grounds for over a decade.

“I work here for free,” Wickham explained during an on-site interview. Wickham visits the site as often as three times a week and has taken it upon himself to ensure the cemetery doesn’t slide into further neglect.

Wickham’s efforts are now being bolstered by a newly formed committee that includes members of the Musée d’Histoire, Bishop’s University, and the Eastern Townships Resource Centre (ETRC). A formal planning meeting is set for Aug. 16, and volunteers hope it will provide the structure and support needed to launch a broader cleanup and awareness campaign.

Julien Bazile, a historian with the Musée d’Histoire who is also involved in the committee, spoke about the cemetery’s significance. “It is the oldest cemetery in Sherbrooke. It dates back 200 years,” he said. “Many of the pioneers of Sherbrooke are buried here—people like Mr. Beckett… Mr. Worthington… Mr. Bowen. This place is a living page of local history.”

Wickham emphasized the need for proper equipment and planning to safely lift and reset the toppled headstones. “Some of these stones are very heavy—thousands of pounds,” he explained. “You cannot lift them by hand. We need machines, volunteers, and funds.”

The root of the problem, according to Wickham and other locals, is that there is no longer a functioning parish at St. Peter’s. The church itself was sold in 2007 and officially closed in 2014. Since then, maintenance of the cemetery has fallen to the Anglican Diocese of Quebec, which provides what is known as “perpetual care.”

That perpetual care, however, does not include restoring or repairing individual headstones.

“We provide perpetual care for our cemeteries,” explained Sean Otto, Registrar for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec. “That means things like cutting the grass, mending fences, trimming trees. But the headstones are family responsibilities.”

Otto stressed that St. Peter’s is not abandoned. “This is consecrated ground that has been set aside for the repose of the faithful departed. It has never been abandoned,” he said. “We take our responsibility very seriously.”

Still, Otto acknowledged the logistical challenges the diocese faces. “We have cemeteries under our care from La Tuque to the Magdalen Islands. When congregations close, we do our best to step in, but we rely heavily on volunteers like Patrick.”

Longtime Sherbrooke resident June Page, whose family members are buried in the cemetery, was among the first to raise the alarm publicly. “There are a lot of stones that are tipped over,” she said. “The church was sold and all the money went to Quebec City. We want some of that money used to repair the cemetery. We don’t want a GoFundMe.”

Page contrasted the condition of St. Peter’s with the well-maintained United Church Cemetery nearby. “It’s very nice. But St. Peter’s really is not great. It looks abandoned, even though it isn’t.”

That perception is something the new committee hopes to change, not just through physical restoration, but through increased visibility and historical awareness.

“We want to develop a partnership between local citizens and historical professionals,” Bazile explained. “We hope it becomes a model for local heritage conservation. This isn’t just about old stones—it’s about our collective memory.”

Otto echoed that sentiment. “We’re less interested in political designations and more interested in building community,” he said. “Our ideal is to create a strong network of local volunteers who help make this a beautiful and meaningful place again.”

As the Aug. 16 committee meeting approaches, volunteers are calling on Sherbrooke residents to get involved, whether by donating time, equipment, or expertise.

“After the 16th, we’ll have a clearer structure,” Bazile said. “But we already know what we need: help lifting stones, cleaning, monitoring the site, and preserving its history.”

Page noted that Wickham is already trying to set up a kind of informal patrol. “It’s not about having security guards,” she said. “It’s just about people walking through now and then so it doesn’t look forgotten.”

Despite the growing attention, the question of funding remains unresolved. While the diocese maintains that headstone restoration falls to families, Wickham pointed out the difficulty. “Some of the people here died in the 1800s. Their families are gone. They don’t have $30,000 to fix a stone,” he said.

That reality is pushing some community members to explore heritage site designation. Otto said such a move wouldn’t necessarily conflict with the land’s consecrated status. “There are already diocesan properties in Quebec with the highest designation for historical religious buildings,” he said. “I don’t see why a cemetery couldn’t also be recognized.”

He added, however, that “the question becomes whether it is in the public’s best interest that public funds be spent this way. But I don’t see why it wouldn’t be eligible.”

Whatever path forward is chosen, the movement has already begun. Wickham, Bazile, Otto, and others hope to rally Sherbrooke’s citizens around this tangible piece of its past.

“Heritage isn’t just about identity,” Bazile said. “It’s about our shared spaces, our collective memory. What we do here can echo beyond this cemetery.”

Residents interested in joining the effort can contact the organizing committee through Bazile or the Anglican Diocese directly. Volunteers, donors, and community members are encouraged to participate in the upcoming August planning session.