Saint-Colomban Cemetery Restoration Project

Saint-Colomban is not the only cemetery in the Mirabel region that was populated by early Irish migrants. There are many other small cemeteries in the area whose stones have broken, and the remnants discarded in the back of the church property. It is our hope that we can set a standard with our restoration of the Saint-Colomban cemetery, and it will encourage others to join forces to preserve these other historic sites.

To preserve the cemetery and raise funds to:

• Repair the deteriorating bricks in the existing monument, the newly broken headstones and identify and secure the headstones that are in a vulnerable state.
• Expand the original project by including the records and histories of those who were buried in the graveyard and to chronicle the efforts of their descendants to recover, preserve, and protect their Irish heritage, language, and culture.
• To officially designate the Saint-Colomban cemetery, Church and buildings associated with it as an Irish Memorial National Historic Site.
• Locate this site in the Saint-Colomban cemetery where most of the first Irish migrants who settled in the village of Saint-Colomban in Quebec in the 1820’s is buried and erect a plaque on each plot identifying who is buried therein.
• Gather (from the descendants) the oral history of the Irish Migrants and explore the significance of the Irish language heritage and culture of this group.
• Create an interactive map of both the cemetery and the Saint-Colomban village siting where the original Irish settlers are buried and pinpoint the location of the homesteads (with supporting pictures and documentation).

View our recent Cemetery Restoration Activity and Video Series.

CIMPN St. Colomban Cemetery Project partners:

St. Columban-Irish
https://www.stcolumban-irish.com

Montreal Irish Memorial Park Foundation, Inc.
c/o 523 rue Charon
Montréal QC H3K 2P4
Telephone: 514.928.7196 Fax: 450.247.2418
https://www.montrealirishmonument.com

Fabrique De Paroisse Saint-Colomban
342B, Montée de l'Église
Saint-Colomban QC J5K 2H9
https://www.paroissesaint-colomban.org

Histoire et Archives Laurentides
101, place du Curé-Labelle
bureau 203
Saint-Jérôme QC J7Z 1X6
https://histoire-archives-laurentides.com

CIMPN is a Member of:

Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN)
3355 rue College
Sherbrooke QC J1M 0B8
https://qahn.org