Archive

Pet Cemetery should have national designation, says historian

April 2, 2013   ·   1 Comments

By Brock Weir

Few in Aurora would question Aurora’s collective love of pets, but the Town’s historic affinities to furry friends could be emphasized if heritage advocates get their way.

Aurora Council could consider a request from the Town’s Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC) to put the wheels in motion to designate a plot of land in the south end of town near Ridge Road historic as the Town’s first pet cemetery.

The pet cemetery, which some historians speculate might be the very first specially allocated piece of land for that purpose in the country, was recently considered by HAC. Committee member David Heard said he had been quite interested in the property as many headstones date from before 1930 and even bear the names of some of Aurora’s founding families.

“I would like to see this designated as a national historic site,” he said. “It is potentially the first in Canada and there is a lot of support for this in the area.

The Committee tasked the Town’s heritage planner with recommendations on how a pet cemetery could be designated, with additional background information on the site’s history, a “preliminary idea” of the significance of the site and “anything that might be available to establish some timelines and get some background information so we know as a Town [what it is.]”

A special designation, Mr. Heard added, would add to the already considerable heritage “base” many Aurorans don’t even know exists.
“We could make Aurora a destination,” he said, speaking of many of Aurora’s famous firsts. “This will make people incredibly proud of their community.”

Readers Comments (1)