I personally find it a little strange to think of a Grand Opening celebration being held for the opening of a cemetery. First off, a cemetery is not the most celebrated location, more of a sad place if you ask me. And who's so glad to see one opened? Yes they are necessary. I also see some irony in a grand "opening" for a "final place of rest".
This Grand opening plaque is located at the entrance of a "newer" cemetery near Grimsby Ontario.
The plaque reads:
TOWN OF GRIMSBY
GRIMSBY MOUNTAIN CEMETERY
Official Opening Ceremony
27 June 1998
Mayor Nick Andreychuk and Alderman Don Howe
Dedication by Reverend Martin Woller
Town Council 1998
Mayor Nick Andreychuk
Aldermen Jim Heywood
Martin Poos
Don Howe
Wendy Watt
Wayne Fertich
Gord Roddy
Jeff Jordan
Jeff Mullins
Cemetery Steering Committee
Aldermen Don Howe
Tony Joosse
Sam Lee
Kathy Vout
Town Clerk
Bob LeRoux
Director of Public Works
About the Grimsby Mountain Cemetery:
(from the Town Of Grimsby Website (
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"Located at the corner of Mountain and Elm Tree Roads, Mountain Cemetery was opened in 1998. The site comprises a total of 32.5 acres purchased for a price of $294,210, and is expected to meet the needs of Grimsby residents well into the future."
This cemetery is considerably young in comparison to most cemeteries, and it certainly has a look and feel unlike that of most old cemetaries. I also found it interesting that there is a full online database of all persons buried here, by surname, with information such as date of death, date of burial, and location within the cemetery.
The plaque does not clearly specify the person that officiated at this ceremony, but three names stand out as being key figures in the event - Mayor Nick Andreychuk, Alderman Don Howe, and Reverend Martin Woller. As expected, there is very limited information about these persons. Here is what I was able to find for each:
Nick Andreychuk served the Town of Grimsby as politician from 1973 until 2010, making him the longest serving politician in the history of the town. He served as mayor for 13 years.
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Don Howe served three terms as Alderman in the Town of Grimsby, from 1991-2000.
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Reverend Martin Woller was pastor of the Danish Lutheran Church of The Niagara Peninsula between 1993 and 1999
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