It's more then just a cemetary

There are no celebrities in the Eden cemetery.

The 50 meter by 50 meter plot of land in Meadowvale holds no well-known politicians, famous actors, or any known war heroes.

Yet it is immaculately preserved. The chiseled headstones are so polished that the light glistens off of them, blinding someone who gets to close.

The names of people who died 80, 100 or 150 years ago look as if they were etched in just yesterday.

To top things off the cemetery is surrounded by a five foot chain-link fence that keeps people out.

When a proposal was put forward to widen the road beside it, a move that would have meant that some of the remains would have to be re-buried, it was opposed by the local councillor and community and it is now back on the drawing board.

So why do people care so much about this place that they keep it in such good condition?

I would argue that it’s because the tale of the local settlers buried here is the same one that is being played out by people who are settling in Mississauga everyday.

When these people settled in the area now known as Meadowvale they struggled to survive day in and day out.

They had to produce all the food required to survive using primitive equipment and manual labor. The land they settled was beside a giant swamp and wasn’t exactly the healthiest place to raise a family.

Despite this they tolled this land for their entire lives, all in the name of staying alive and in the hope that one day their children would inherit a prosperous farmstead.

It’s a tale that is being replayed today throughout modern day Meadowvale. Whether it is a family from Newfoundland moving into the city to find work or a pair of doctors from India, hoping to build a new life for themselves this tale of sacrifice, hard work and hope is being played out all over again 150 years later.

By keeping in good shape the final resting place of those who died trying to achieve this dream we honor this story and help keep it alive.