Events

August 23, 2023

Annual Gathering of partners and members

 Irish Monument Park Foundation hosted a gathering with the entire team to provide everyone with an update on the project’s progress up to
this point. The team encompasses our Board, Partners, general members,
advisors, patrons, and numerous other individuals and organizations that
have contributed in diverse capacities to this endeavor.
Beyond delivering the project update, this occasion offered us the
opportunity to express our real gratitude to all those who have been
involved thus far.

Moreover, during the event, we had the privilege to unveil a very important
and momentous announcement.
As many of you are aware, the Black Rock is situated on a small island of
land bordered by Bridge Street on both sides. Recognizing the pivotal
importance of this modest property to the development of the memorial
space, we have always understood its significance.
Initially, we operated under the belief that the land was under the ownership
of the City of Montreal. However, extensive research by Diane English
revealed that the land, in fact, belonged to the Anglican Church of Canada.
The ownership had been transferred to the Anglican Church by the British
builders of the Victoria Bridge during the 1860s.
Several years ago, we reached out to Bishop Mary Gibson of the Anglican
Church, and upon her comprehension of our project’s goals, she graciously
agreed to donate and transfer the ownership of this land to The Montreal
Irish Monument Park Foundation.

Naturally, the process of transferring the land involved the diligent work of
land surveyors, lawyers, and notaries over the course of the past few
years.
Hence, it was with great joy that we could announce at yesterday's
gathering, that all the formalities of documentation, registration, and other
necessary bureaucratic processes have been successfully concluded. As a
result, the ownership of the land, along with the Black Rock, now resides
fully with the Foundation.

This transfer marks a significant milestone in the planning of the memorial
space. We extend our sincere gratitude to Bishop Gibson and the Anglican
Church for their immensely generous donation, which has enabled this
crucial progression in our project.

december 7th, 2023

Generous Irish government donation

August 2, 2023

Sazerac Donation

As mentioned, some months ago, Sazerac Inc., one of the largest
distilleries worldwide made a very generous donation to our memorial
space project of $ 100,000.
In Montreal they operate under the name of “The Old Montreal Distillery”.
Their local plant is in close proximity of the Black Rock and occupies one of
the few remaining buildings in Victoria town (aka Goose Village) after the
entire community was bulldozed in the 1960’s to make way for Expo 67.
However due to Covid and other factors, we were never able to visit the
location to officially say thank you for this great donation.
So, we were pleased when last Wednesday, (August 2 2023), a few of our
Board Members were able to visit the location and express our long over
due gratitude.
In the image, Lynn Doyle, Board Member, and also a member of our
Finance and Fundraising committee, is shown accepting the ceremonial
check from Guillaume Lussier, general manager of the Sazerac Montreal
location.
The donation does help toward our projected cost of about $ 20 million to
realize the creation of the beautiful world-class memorial space.
Thank you, Sazerac

July 22-23, 2023

Meeting the Irish minister of state

Last weekend, July 22-23 2023, we had an opportunity to meet with Seán
Fleming who is Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with
special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora for the
Irish Government and Ambassador Eamonn McKee, Ireland’s Ambassador
to Canada, as well as a few other representatives of the Irish Government.

We had an opportunity to provide information about our Memorial space
project and on Sunday, the Minister and Ambassador visited the site of the
Black Rock so that we could show them the actual space and the overall
vision that we have for the space.

We are hoping that the Irish Government will consider becoming full
partners in this effort.

july 28, 2023

Foundation and REM

Friday, July 28th 2023, a couple of Board Members were invited to
represent the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation for the inaugural
run of the new Montreal REM light transit system. The section from
Brossard to Central Station is now opened. Lynn Doyle and Fergus Keyes were
on-hand, as well as Marie-Claude Durand who was representing Hydro-
Quebec but is also a member of our Board of Directors.

It was a fun experience and although similar to riding the Metro, since it is
elevated ramp; with large windows, the REM provides an exceptional view of
Montreal, and of course, we had an opportunity to see the Black Rock from
above as the REM passes in close proximity to where we intend to build
our beautiful world-class memorial space.

August 31, 2020

Second Hydro Quebec Archeology Excavation

This excavation is taking place in the North end of the property. At the South and East section, construction of the Hydro station, to be called Poste des Irlandais (Irish station) has now started. But the area of this construction is generally “land fill”. In the 1950’s during the exaction for the Seaway; and then again in the 1960’s during the construction of the Metro-Subway, a great amount of earth was transported to the area and extended the property.

The archeologists using old maps and other indications are currently searching areas where there is a possibility of discovering some artifacts of the Fever Sheds. Of course, it would be impossible to search every square inch of this very large property.
So, it is our understanding that as any Hydro building construction is extended into possible older areas of the original site, careful attention will be done. If anything, important is seen at this point, all construction will cease and the archeologists that remain on stand-by during the entire future years of construction will return to the site.

The Montreal Irish Community could not possibly ask for more care and planning than that which is being done by the Hydro-Quebec organization.
The hope in the end is that all artifacts that are discovered by the archeologists will be cleaned-up, dated etc. and then displayed in any interpretation centre / museum that we plan to include in our world class memorial space around the Back Rock.

June 11, 2021

QAHN Award given to the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation

We were very pleased and honored to receive the Richard Evans heritage award from the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). We would like to thank Global News Montreal for covering this event.

As an added bonus, representatives of The Pillars Trust Fund were also at the Black Rock and took the opportunity to present Scott Phelan (one of our Board Members; and Chair of the Fundraising & Finance Committee) with a very nice initial donation of $ 5,000. This donation, along with one recently received from Cine Gael, and a few smaller individual amounts donated via our web page are all helping us inch forward to our first objective of raising $ 1,000,000. This amount will represent our overall “Community Contribution” toward building the world class memorial park in the area.

2020

REM Plaque Presentation

The Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation gives a Plaque of thanks to the REM organization for all the care and respect they provided during their excavation that discovered the remains of 14 Irish victims from 1847.

December 11, 2019

Last Day of Excavation

Representatives of the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation were invited to visit the site on the last day if the REM excavation where the remains of 14 victims from 1847 were discovered.

June 12, 2019

Ceremony at the Black Rock

Under a clear blue sky, a beautiful and moving ceremony took place last evening (Wednesday, June 12th 2019) at the Black Rock, senior religious representatives of the Catholic, Anglican, Jewish and First Nations performed a blessing of the area.
Montreal Catholic – Bishop Thomas Dowd; Anglican Bishop of Montreal – Mary Irwin-Gibson; Rabbi Alan W. Bright – (Shaare Zedek Congregation) and Ka’nahsóhon Kevin Deer – (Mohawk Traditional leader) – each, in turn, offered a blessing and remembrance of the 6000+ victims that died and were buried I n the area in 1847.
REM (the light transit rail organization) arranged to have some earth removed from the area where they will be installing their transit line and after the blessing; this earth was returned to the section. They also arranged for some banners to indicate the area where they will be digging.

His Excellency Jim Kelly, Irish Ambassador to Canada, was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict but did send a written note highlighting the history of the site and congratulations on the progress toward a meaningful memorial space – Paul Loftus, a member of the 5 Irish Committee, read the letter.

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the REM (Light Transit Rail) organization, (along with Hydro; and the City), in helping to prepare for this ceremony, everyone in attendance agreed that it demonstrated a great deal of respect for this sacred space. We certainly appreciate the attendance of these religious leaders as well as the members of the Montreal Irish Community that were able to be on hand for this great experience and of course the REM organization.

October 10, 2017

Blessing at the site of first archeology excavation

A Blessing at the site of the 1 st Hydro-Quebec Archeology excavation of the area with Father McCrory.

June 18, 2016

Michael Collins arrives at Black Rock

Michael Collins, a long-distance runner, and award-winning author
runs from Grosse Ile to Toronto to raise awareness of the tragic
events of Black 47, as well as, to raise some funds for various Irish
Monument efforts including our Montreal Irish Monument Park
Foundation efforts to build a beautiful cultural green space around
the Black Rock.
On Friday, June 17th 2016, Michael Collins arrived at noon at the
Black Rock to the cheers of members of the Montreal Irish
community, including representatives of the Montreal Irish Monument
Park Foundation; Danny Doyle, President, and members of the United
Irish Societies (UIS); as well as, Marc Miller, our Federal Member of
Parliament for the area.

January 28th, 2003

Knights of columbus support

Since the beginning of this effort more than a decade ago, the Knights of
Columbus, Montreal Council 284 (Downtown) have supported the Montreal
Irish Monument Park Foundation both overall and with an annual financial
donation to the project.
On Saturday, January 28th 2003, Lynn Doyle and myself attended the
annual K of C New Year’s event where once again we received a donation.
We thank Mr. Thomas Altenburg, Grand Knight, his executive, and all the
members of Council 284 for their generous support.
In the photo, Lynn Doyle, our Board Member, and Member of our Finance &
Fundraising Committee, is accepting the donation on our behalf.

december 21, 2022

at the black rock on the shortest day of the year

December 21st 2022 at 4pm around the Black Rock on the shortest day of
the year. Members of the Montréal Irish Monument Park Foundation as well
as representatives of many Montréal Irish groups were at the site.