Vol. 17 No. 9
September, 1987
|
Stay Safe in 87
|
|
Vandalized Mausoleum
Refurbished
Memorial Re-opens: Dignitaries at
the official re-opening of the Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal mausoleum, flanked by two Mounties, are
(from left) R.A.R. Vartan managing director Europe CP Rail, H.R. Romoff chairman Canadian Pacific, the current Lord
Strathcona, and D.R. Keast director financial services Canadian Pacific.
London England - The refurbished mausoleum of Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal
was officially re-opened to the public 16 Jul 1987 with a quiet, dignified ceremony in the
London Highgate Cemetery where it is located.
Donald Smith, who became Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, is buried under the polished marble building which will
become a reception centre and visitor information booth for the tens of thousands of people who every year visit the
hillside Victorian cemetery.
HONORED GUESTS
Strathcona, the archetypal 19th century capitalist, is best known for his role in financing the building of the
Canadian Pacific Railway; his long association with the Hudson's Bay Company, and the Bank of Montreal; and his
Canadian political career, which culminated with his work as Canadian High Commissioner and one of the chief
promoters of Canada in Britain.
Among the guests at the ceremonies were the present Lord strathcona, members of the Strathcona family, the Canadian
High Commissioner, several British MPs, two officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and representatives of CP
Rail, CP Ships, and Canadian Pacific Limited. Two officers of Strathcona's Horse, a Canadian regiment founded and
financed by Donald Smith for action in the Boer War, were also on hand to honor the famous Scot.
Restoration of the vandalized mausoleum was sparked by interest in the centennial of the completion of the CPR. In
the famous photograph of that event, Donald Smith appears front and centre wielding the maul which drove home the
last spike on that fateful day in 1885.
The project was initiated by Canadian High Commissioner Roy McMurtry and financed from several sources, notably
Canadian Pacific and British Petroleum with whom Strathcona was intimately connected.
"Our nations have much in common, including joint memories of this great man. I hope this memorial becomes a
place of pilgrimage for Britons, Canadians, and other visitors", said High Commissioner McMurtry.
Pictures and text line the walls of the mausoleum, and depict elements from the life of the trader, railway
financier, politician, and diplomat. His exploits will now be known by the thousands of tourists seeking information
about the 51,000 graves in the cemetery.
Members of the present Lord Strathcona's family not only approved the restoration, but Lord Strathcona himself came
by with his own electric hedge trimmer to cut back the undergrowth when the project was in progress.
Said Jill Lumsden, a descendant of Donald Smith: "He was a great entrepreneur and didn't approve of waste
- he would have approved of having the building put to use".
This CP Rail News article is copyright
1987 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with
their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Company.
|
