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SUMMARY:Wellington Cemetery Tours
URL:http://www.harbourliving.ca/event/wellington-cemetery-tours/
LOCATION:Wellington Cemetery :: 4700 Ledgerwood Road Nanaimo, 
DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:<p>Nanaimo&rsquo;s most hidden cemetery will highlight local history this summer.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Nanaimo Museum is offering two guided tours of the Wellington Cemetery in July and August.&nbsp; The tour features the history of Wellington and intriguing stories of the people who lived there.<br /><br />Wellington was created by Robert Dunsmuir as a coal miners&rsquo; town in the 1870s, had a population that rivaled Nanaimo during the late 19th century.&nbsp; &ldquo;These tours are ideal for people who want to learn more about local history,&rdquo; says Aimee Greenaway, Interpretation Curator at the Nanaimo Museum.&nbsp; &ldquo;You gain an understanding of the culturally diverse population in Wellington because the markers are inscribed in French, Italian and English.&rdquo;&nbsp; Some headstones tell the tragic story of deaths related to mining accidents; events that united them all.<br /><br />Researching stories of people who were buried in the Wellington Cemetery paints a picture of life in Nanaimo during the height of local coal mining operations.&nbsp; Significantly, the cemetery is divided into sections by religious denomination.&nbsp; &ldquo;There are over 100 recorded burials in the Wellington Cemetery,&rdquo; says Greenaway.&nbsp; &ldquo;But only a few dozen grave markers remain.&rdquo;&nbsp; Well-known local names and stories on the tour include Leopold and Josephine Labiaux, who Labieux Road is named after, as well as Thomas Haggart whose house disappeared into a sinkhole after a nearby mine flooded.&nbsp; The tour includes the story of Haggart&rsquo;s family emigrating to Vancouver Island and their lives in the area.<br /><br />The Thursday tours are 45 minutes long starting at 10:00 on July 16 and August 20. The cost is $10 per person and advance registration is required.&nbsp; The Nanaimo Museum is open 10am-5pm daily until Labour Day weekend.&nbsp; For more information please call 250 753-1821 or visit www.nanaimomuseum.ca.&nbsp; The museum is located in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre.</p>
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DTEND:19700101
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