Le premier cimeti?re de Saint John
English
Saint John original burial ground was established on this site shortly after the landing of the United Empire Loyalists in 1783. After its closure as a cemetery in 1845, the site became a memorial garden with tree lined walkways and flower beds.
For upwards of 100 years it remained a unique place of beauty in the centre of a busy industrial city. However time and neglect gradually took their toll and by the late 1900 the burial ground was in a state of disrepair.
In 1995 the Irving family undertook a restoration program as a gift to the people of Saint John. They commissioned and carried out a refurbishing of the entire site, including the construction of brick and granite walkways, benches, special railings and light columns. Hundreds of trees and thousands of flowers and shrubs were planted. Then, at the heart of the Memorial Park the magnificent Beaver Fountain was created.
It was in 1925 that K.C. Irving established his first Saint John business on Union Street adjacent to the burial ground. For many years he looked out over this very site from his office in the Golden Ball Building.
The Canadian Beaver, a prominent motif found throughout the site depicts the hard work, enterprise and tenacious resolve of the city founders and those who followed.
The people of Saint John warmly thank the Irving family for restoring their pride in this historic site.
French
Le premier cimeti?re de Saint John a ?t? fond? sur le prent site peu de temps apr l?arriv?e des United Empire Loyalists en 1783. Apr la fermeture de cimeti?re en 1848, le site est devenu un jardin comm?moratif comprenant des sentiers bord d?arbres et de plates-bandes.
Le site est demeur? pendant plus de 100 ans un endroit de beaut? unique au milieu d?une grande ville industrielle, le cimeti?re a ?t? graduellement laiss? ? l?abandon est ? la fin du XXᵉ si?cle, il ?tait tomb? en ruines.
En 1994, la famille Irving entreprit un programme de restauration dont elle faisait cadeau aux citoyens de Saint John. Elle commanda et ex?cuta un remise ? neuf du site complet qui comprenait la construction de sentiers de briques et de granite, de bancs, de portails comm?moratifs, de cl?tures et de lampadaires. Des centaines d?arbres et de milliers de fleurs et d?arbustes ont ?t? plantes, puis, la magnifique fontaine de castor fut ?rig?e.
En 1925 K.C. Irving ?tablit son premier commerce a Saint John sur la rue Union adjacent au cimeti?re. Pendant de nombreuses ann?es il a pu regarder ce site de son bureau situ? dans l?immeuble Golden Ball.
Le castor du Canada, motif important que l?on retrouv? partout sur la site, reprente le nombreux efforts, l?initiative et la t?nacit? des fondateurs de la ville et de ceux qui les ont suivis.
Les gens de Saint John remercient chaleureusement la famille Irving pour avoir raviv? la fiert? envers ce site historique.
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