Alberta Cemetery Restoration Honors Black Pioneers

Paul, Christine, and Debbie Beaver stand behind headstone of their uncle, George Kenneth Beaver

The restoration of a historic cemetery in Alberta has achieved a significant milestone. On July 12, permanent headstones were installed at Bethel Baptist Cemetery near Barrhead, Alta. This cemetery stands as a poignant reminder of the Black pioneer community of Campsie, a group whose legacy endures in the region.

Located approximately 120 kilometers northwest of Edmonton, Barrhead now boasts 13 permanent headstones honoring community members. Additionally, one grave, found to be in good condition, did not require headstone placement.

The restoration efforts were a collaborative endeavor involving descendants of the original settler families, the Barrhead Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services. Together, they worked tirelessly to restore the cemetery and raise funds for the stone markers.

Family homestead in Campsie Alberta

Bethel Baptist Cemetery holds special significance as the land was originally donated by James Moses Beaver and Hattie Beaver, prominent Black settlers in Campsie. Several original outbuildings from their era still stand nearby. Among those interred is George Kenneth Beaver, whose short life in 1940 is memorialized here.

Campsie itself was established in the early 1900s, a refuge for African-Americans fleeing the oppressive Jim Crow laws in the United States. Motivated by the promise of free land, hundreds migrated northward, with approximately 1,000 crossing into Canada by 1911. Alberta became home to several rural settlements where they built close-knit communities: Campsie, Junkins (now Wildwood), Keystone (now Breton), and Pine Creek (now Amber Valley).

Reflecting on this heritage, one descendant, Beaver, shared memories of her father who lived his entire life in Campsie. She aims to preserve and share Campsie’s history further through an upcoming documentary project.

The restoration of Bethel Baptist Cemetery not only honors individual lives but also ensures that the profound legacy of Campsie’s pioneering African-American community endures for future generations.