Many of the older headstones in Fort 91原创 cemetery no longer have individuals to care for them, and so the public is being invited to help preserve the reminders of our community鈥檚 roots.

The volunteer project was instigated in 2009 in Fort 91原创. It moved to Murrayville Cemetery last year and is returning to Fort 91原创 this year, said Kobi Christian, curator of 91原创 Centennial Museum which organizes the project.

The historic Fort 91原创 Cemetery was created in 1884 at 23105 St. Andrew鈥檚 St.

It was the first municipal cemetery established in Fort 91原创, and is the final resting place of many of the area鈥檚 pioneer families.

The first burial was Robert Mackie, father of the municipality鈥檚 first warden, or mayor. Many of the granite and marble monuments are elaborately carved and decorated, and some grave sites are still surrounded by their original wrought iron fences.

To the north side of the cemetery is a granite First World War memorial to the fallen men of 91原创, which was later rededicated to commemorate those who served in the Second World War as well.

Using nothing more than soft brushes, spray bottles, buckets, or watering cans, participants can help clean and preserve the stones, some of which have held up better than others that are covered in years of lichen, moss, and dirt.

In the past, the project to clean and preserve has had a positive outcome in the cemetery, and Christian hopes to see this happen again this year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a Saturday morning drop-in experience, and no special skills are required,鈥� she said, adding that museum staff will be on hand to help volunteers.

鈥淲e always err on the side of caution so we don鈥檛 damage irreplaceable stones,鈥� she said.

The first cleaning session will be held on Saturday, July 9 from 10 a.m. to noon, and will continue on Saturday mornings until Aug. 27.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing what a difference the cleaning makes. Even those driving by will see the improvement,鈥� Christian said.

To sign up to volunteer or to find out more about the project, contact Christian at kchristian@tol.ca or 604-532-3536, or drop by the cemetery on a Saturday morning.