Your family graves could be washing into the sea
Good morning from the Atlantic — three provinces, five communities, and the stories that cross every border.
Now look, I’ve heard some shocking things on the wire, but this one, b'y, truly hits home. We’re talking about our very oldest cemeteries here on the Island, the quiet places where generations of Islanders rest, and they’re literally running out of time. Coastal erosion, that relentless gnawing of the sea we see all along the North Shore, is now threatening to pull these sacred grounds right into the Northumberland Strait. It's not just a few headstones; it's entire plots, entire family histories, on the brink of disappearing forever.
### Why This Matters for Charlottetown
This isn't some distant problem; it's an echo of our history right here in Charlottetown and across the Island. Think about how many old cemeteries dot the landscape, from the historic St. Peter’s Anglican Cemetery right downtown, just a stone's throw from Province House, to the smaller, wind-swept plots out past Cavendish. These aren’t just places to bury the dead; they’re living archives. They tell us about who built this province, where they came from, and the lives they led. Losing them means losing a tangible piece of our collective memory.
* **Historical Impact:** Many of these coastal cemeteries hold the remains of some of PEI’s earliest settlers, people who shaped our communities. * **Cultural Significance:** These sites are often family plots, maintained for generations, connecting us to our past. * **Environmental Reality:** It's a stark reminder of how vulnerable our beautiful coastline truly is, from the red cliffs of Basin Head to the beaches of Brackley, every part of the Island faces this threat.
People are trying, mind you, to shore up these sites, to move what they can, but it’s a losing battle in some places against the power of the sea. What does it say about us if we can’t even protect the resting places of our ancestors? It's not quaint, it’s a real challenge, and one that makes you think about our own legacies.
This is Bridget Chicken-MacPhail, for the MiTL Sports Desk, signing off.
You'll find the full story, and more, on the Morning Wire, streaming live at mornings.live.