Old words, new sign. The historical cemetery has a fresh and respectful look (submitted/Kandis Riese)

By Glenn Hicks

remembering

Old cemetery sign replacement unveiled

Jun 28, 2021 | 3:59 PM

A community effort to return all the words on the sign at the old disused La Ronge Cemetery has reached fruition.

After a year of work and community buy-in, the new sign was unveiled at a special ceremony on Sunday.

The project was the undertaking of a cemetery committee, local history group, and had the backing of the Northern Village of Air Ronge.

The site is now in the community of Air Ronge, although originally it would have been part of La Ronge town limits. It has not had a burial in over 55 years.

Kandis Riese with the committee said it was important to have widespread support for the creation of the sign that now includes the words: ‘If we did not as brothers live let us here as brothers lie,’ which were on the original but got lost at some stage many years ago. She and others in the community recall the phrase being used in an edition of the Ripleys Believe It or Not publication.

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“We had a mixture of people from La Ronge, Air Ronge, and Lac La Ronge Indian band members at the ceremony, “Riese told larongeNOW. “We had some family members who have loved ones in the cemetery, they were all individually contacted.”

Alice Parada unveils the new cemetery sign with the help of sign creator Greg Lobb. (submitted/Kandis Riese)

She explained a locally born and raised resident with a loved one in the cemetery had the honour of doing the actual unveiling. An Elder, who advised the committee’s work and who also has a loved one buried at the site, was also part of the occasion.

The wooden sign was hand-crafted by Greg Lobb of Mosquito Workshop and also features the additional work ‘historical’ to the location title.

He later made a Facebook post: “A heaviness is palpable associated with cemeteries and gravesites in this day, in solidarity I’ll be going dark for the foreseeable future. Love one another and be kind.”

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glenn.hicks@pattisonmedia.com