Union Cemetery - Fort Macleod, Alberta
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T0SHEA
N 49° 43.837 W 113° 23.327
12U E 327856 N 5511418
The Union Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. Located on 9th Avenue and 30th Street.
Waymark Code: WMPG9B
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 08/27/2015
Views: 1
The Union Cemetery is located within Willow Creek County. There are approximately 3,400 interments located in this well maintained cemetery. There is a Legion Field of Honour and the North West Mounted Police Field of Honour.
The cemetery is marked by a sign that explains some of the history. It is transcribed as follows:
Union Cemetery
Established October 1874
Historically, Union Cemetery is Fort Macleod's second cemetery. The first cemetery was on the island in the Oldman River near the site of the original North West Mounted Police fort, in use from October, 1874 until 1883 when flooding and erosion unearthed some of the caskets buried there.
Constable Godfrey Parks was the first person buried at the island site. He contracted typhoid fever on the trek west from Manitoba, two weeks before the N.W.M.P.'s arrival at Fort Macleod. They arrived October 13, 1874. He died and was buried October 26th.
A number of other N.W.M.P., R.N.W.M.P. and R.C.M.P. members are buried within the N.W.M.P. section of Union Cemetery, the Field of Honour, which is surrounded by a white picket fence. A sign beside the fence discusses the members who have been interred there, including the guide and interpreter, Jerry Potts.
Also interred here are veterans from the two World Wars. Surprisingly, there is even a veteran from the American Civil War. One notable veteran of World War I is Brigadier Frederick Harvey. As a member of Lord Stathcona's Horse Regiment, he received the Victoria Cross, the Military Cross, and the Croix de Guerre. In March, 1917, he fought in the trenches at Guyencourt, France and led his regiment in an attack to gain control of a German machine gun post. This initiative led to the Allied capture of the town.
During World War II, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan operated a large base just outside of Fort Macleod for the training of pilots from all over the British Commonwealth. Foreign pilots who died during these exercises are also buried here.
City, Town, or Parish / State / Country: Not listed
Approximate number of graves: Not listed
Cemetery Status: Not listed
Cemetery Website: Not listed
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