Lyall And Francis Project
At the beginning of 2025, The Old Cemeteries Society collaborated with two other local societies to create a new project. The BC Black History Awareness Society and The Victoria Genealogical Society both expressed interest in erecting grave markers for prominent pioneers who currently had no marker. The Old Cemeteries Society took the lead and over the past six months we have completed the project.
The BC Black History Awareness Society chose Sydna Edmonia Robella (nee Dandridge) Francis. She was a Black pioneer, suffragist and abolitionist.
The Victoria Genealogical Society chose Eliza Norman Morison Wishart (Anderson) Lyall. She was born in 1852 on the HBC ship Norman Morison during a sailing from London, England, to Victoria and was named after the captain’s wife, the ship, and the captain.
The new grave markers are made from local cedar, sandblasted to give them a sign-like appearance and finished with white painted lettering. We started off with 2X6 cedar planks. These were glued together to form a 24-inch by 6-foot blank. After much sanding and planing, a decorative scroll was cut into the top. Now ready for finishing, the sandblasting matts were ordered for Mortimer’s Monumental Works, applied to the blanks’ surfaces and taken to Blast It Sandblasting Victoria for sandblasting. Once sandblasted, the matt material was removed; the total surface was given two coats of preservative and allowed to dry for two weeks to ensure a good cure. Then the lettering was painted white and the finished grave markers were erected on their respective grave sites at Ross Bay Cemetery.
The OCS would like to thank Al Bruch for his help and the use of his shop, Wilf Bruch for his work and coordination of the project, Mike Woodcock from the Victoria Genealogical Society and Jamila Douhaibi from the BC Black History Awareness Society for their leadership on the project.
Discoveries and Renewal
Our cleaning bees aren’t always about water, soap and brushes. When we choose an area to clean, we never know what we will find. Our last bee on September 27th brought us to the grave of Gladys Davis (P110WR). This grave was in sad shape, overgrown and covered by a thick mat of moss. On starting to remove the moss, we found the the marble plaque had fractured in many pieces and only still there by the grace of the thick moss.
Time for some repair work along with the cleaning. We were able to gather the pieces and glue them back in place as best we could with two part epoxy. Using water to complete the job would have jeopardized the repair, so we will go back later, wash it and give it a treatment of D2.
So, who was Gladys Davis? None of our cleaning group had ever heard of her. But everybody has a story! Gladys was an animal lover who spent most of her life in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan where she organized and started the first SPCA for that community. On moving to Victoria, she carried on with love of animals through the Victoria SPCA. Below is a letter by G. T. Maurice, Inspector, SPCA Victoria, and printed in the Dailey Colonist of March 31, 1926. RIP Gladys……
Our work is never done but can be so satisfying!
Last of the Vandalized Stones Repaired
Charles DeGOODT U44E53
This was by far the most difficult repair. At first, we thought the monument was damaged beyond repair. We collected all the pieces and set about to see how much of it could be pieced together. Here is a gallery of pictures showing the process and the results.
This monument to Charles DeGOODT will never be the same, nor will it look like it did before being vandalized but at least it will deliver it’s message of remembrance for a few more years….we hope. Our moto should be “never say never”
Fixing a Vandalized Marker
Below is a series of pictures showing the process of repairing a broken marker. We start by completing the “jig-saw puzzle”, then glue the pieces together piece by piece. Once complete, we fill all the cracks and voids with a marble cement and wet polish the repaired piece. As you can see from the picture below, we will be doing some major cleaning on the bottom half of this repair of a vandalized grave marker in the Sisters of St. Ann section of Ross Bay Cemetery.
Vandalism Repairs
Attempting to repair a badly damaged marker. This one is now glued back together but will require lots of grout and tender love and care. But no matter how much love and care we give, it will never be the same! SAD.
Shocking Major Vandalism in Ross Bay Cemetery
At our tour on Sunday, June 22, we noticed two grave markers that were pushed over in the old Catholic section (Block C) on the south side of the cemetery.
On checking with the City of Victoria, we were horrified to learn that City workers had identified 12 damaged markers in total in this one spate of destruction. Most were in Block U (the newer Catholic section), along the east side of the cemetery. Almost all involved grave markers with crosses — some were pushed over and others were smashed beyond repair. The City has filed a police report and notified the Catholic Diocese about the damage to graves within the two Catholic sections.
Our intrepid project manager Wilf Bruch has already surveyed the damage, and along with volunteer Gregory Ciupka and others, has begun the task of repairing what we can. In some cases, we may have to contract monument companies to do the work. Wilf will be talking with the City’s onsite supervisor this week about any help the City may be able to provide. Donations would be welcome to help with the cost of these repairs: via e-transfer to oldcemvictoria@gmail.com; cheque mailed to PO Box 50004, RPO Fairfield Plaza, Victoria BC V8S 5L8; or cash dropped off at any of our tours.
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Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria 