Group using radar to find unmarked graves of Black loyalists at historic Annapolis Royal graveyard

Ground-penetrating radar is being used to find unmarked graves of Black loyalists in Annapolis Royal, N.S.

The work is happening in the Garrison Graveyard at Fort Anne National Historic Site, which is known to be the burial place of Black loyalists, said Heather LeBlanc, who is the project manager with Mapannapolis, a web-based mapping project tracking the history of Annapolis County.

“Certain minority groups were not buried where the regular parishioners would be,” said LeBlanc.

Black loyalists supported the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War. Thousands of them, either free, indentured, apprenticed, or still enslaved, came to Nova Scotia between 1783 and 1785.

Through records and oral history, LeBlanc estimates there are close to 2,000 people buried in the Garrison Graveyard, with some graves dating back to the mid-1600s.

Ground-penetrating radar and light detection and ranging data is collected and sent to Boreas Heritage, an archaeological consulting firm, for analysis. From there, the Black Loyalist Descendants Committee decides what should be done with it -- whether that’s placing it on the Mapannapolis website, or waiting to do more research, said Leblanc.

She says there are roughly 342 standing headstones in the graveyard, which her group is working to clean and restore with help from local high school students.

“Each and every one of these people who had passed on here, they hold a very significant spot in history,” said student Savannah Hudson. “I think it’s very important that they’re honoured, but also have a proper place to rest.”

The project is a partnership between Mapannapolis, Parks Canada and Boreas Heritage Consulting.

“I think it’s important that every person know their past and their culture, and where they come from and be recognized,” said LeBlanc.

To learn more, or explore the Black Loyalist interactive map, visit the Mapannapolis website.