Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

Bellevue Cemetery, one of Gatineau’s oldest burial grounds and a designated municipal
heritage site, will host a public event on September 28 at 2 pm. The program includes a guided
tour and documentation workshop focused on the cemetery’s early history and its place in the
development of Aylmer and the Outaouais region.

The event will be led by local historian Stéphanie Read, whose work centres on built heritage,
historic landscapes, and the social histories embedded in local architecture and cemeteries.
Read has contributed to a range of heritage initiatives across western Quebec and has been
active in community-based research and public history programming.

During the September event, Read will lead participants through Bellevue Cemetery’s network
of plots and memorials, introducing figures such as Charles Symmes, Aylmer’s founder; Gideon
Olmstead, one of the area’s earliest landowners; Mary McConnell, who expanded the cemetery
in the late 19th century; and members of the Wright family, associated with the region’s initial
colonization and economic development. The cemetery, established in the early 1800s, contains
graves dating back to 1812 and reflects the evolution of Aylmer from frontier settlement to civic
centre.

Following the tour, attendees will be introduced to Find a Grave, the world’s largest publicly
accessible database of cemetery records. The platform, created in 1995 and now operated by
Ancestry, allows users to search millions of memorials worldwide, upload photographs of
headstones, and contribute biographical information. Participants in the event will be provided
with a map and a list of specific memorials to photograph and document for the site. Those
wishing to remain involved will be invited to join a temporary working group to review and
upload the collected material, ensuring that Bellevue’s records are preserved and made
accessible to genealogists, historians, and families around the globe.

Participation in the event is free, though registration is required. Further information is available
by contacting symmes.direction@gmail.com or calling 819-682-0291.

Photo: A guided tour and documentation workshop at Bellevue Cemetery on September 28 will
offer residents a chance to explore Aylmer’s early history and contribute to its preservation
through the Find a Grave digital archive. (TF) Tashi Farmilo