Walk to the Black Stone

Here is the Black Stone.

It was 150 years ago, in 1859, that the Black Stone was erected. The Black Stone, also called the Black Rock, is situated on Bridge Street at the entrance of the Victoria Bridge on the Montreal side of the St. Lawrence River. The rock was dredged from the river by workers who were constructing the Victoria Bridge and it commemorates the deaths of over 5,000 Irish victims of typhoid fever who had just arrived in Canada after having escaped famine in Ireland in 1847. Already weakened by tragedy at home, the loss of their homes by forced evictions and the death of relatives, as well their own hunger, the long and difficult ship journey to Canada, and then death by typhoid fever when they arrived... It's a tragic and sad story of these people. The men who were building the Victoria Bridge discovered the mass grave--they died only twelve years before--of the Irish famine victims, some probably their own deceased relatives. Of course, they insisted that this tragedy be commemorated in some way. The rock faces a parking lot, on the other side of the street, where the actual graves are located. Every year, at the end of May, several hundred people walk from St. Gabriel's Church in Point St. Charles to the rock where a memorial service is held. There is a reception at the church hall after the walk. These photos were taken a few years ago, on a rainy cool May morning.