PORT Dover Harbour Museum curator Katie Graham opened an exhibit last Thursday night featuring Port Dover Cemetery artifacts. She said the cemetery “stands as a quiet guard to the lives and legacies of past generations.”

Along with information on wall plaques, three original documents on display at the museum are the cemetery ledger dating to 1877, the original minute book, and a large, 19th century hand-drawn map of the cemetery plots—all of which have been carefully restored.

Ms. Graham explained the cemetery ledger book, which was used for just over a century, has been digitized and is available to view on the museum’s website.

Port Dover Cemetery Company is a not-for-profit organization run by a volunteer board of directors. Board chair Tom Morrison told the gathering that the cemetery is important to the community in many ways. Founded in 1875, he said the Port Dover Cemetery serves as a resting place, a historical record, and a reminder of the generations that came before us.

The cemetery celebrated its 150th anniversary last June with a well-attended celebration and historical walk through the cemetery. Mr. Morrison said the cemetery board wants to continue to reach out and connect the community with the cemetery.

An updated cemetery website at www.portdovercemetery.ca was unveiled that includes a new cemetery logo and information about the cemetery. It also offers a short walking tour that is “a snapshot” of Port Dover through the cemetery. Cemetery director Kim Schott said the board worked with Grace Design Creative’s local owner Grace Abbey Robinson to create the new website.

Guest speaker was Ontario Historical Society (OHS) director Graeme Bachiu of Haldimand County.

Mr. Bachiu explained his advocacy work for the preservation and recognition of Ontario’s abandoned and unlicensed cemeteries. With OHS volunteers, Mr. Bachiu assists the Bereavement Authority of Ontario by conducting research and working with historians, local authorities, and landowners to support cemetery operators and heritage stakeholders to advance awareness and protection of burial sites across Ontario.

Mr. Bachiu praised the local cemetery’s volunteer board and said Port Dover Cemetery is “a good, solid, stable cemetery for the community.”

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Originally published January 21, 2026