Township of Assiginack Hilly Grove Cemetery
The Township of Assiginack operates the Hilly Grove Cemetery. Hilly Grove Cemetery is located on Highway 6 south in the Township of Assiginack and is the only active licensed cemetery in Assiginack. Please see the attachment below for more information; included is the updated Cemetery By-law which includes the Cemetery Policies, Interment Rights Contract, Price List, and Interment Rights Transfer Request Form. For further information, please email fbond@assiginack.ca.
Transfer of Interment Rights Form
Hilly Grove Cemetery Price List
Terms of Reference Cemetery Advisory Committee
History of Hilly Grove Cemetery
Hilly Grove Cemetery is located on Highway 6 south in the Township of Assiginack and is the only active licensed cemetery in Assiginack Township.
John Rutledge donated a two-acre parcel of land in 1884 to establish the cemetery. A further 4 1/7 acres were granted to the cemetery from John Rutledge in 1899.
The cemetery was administered by a Board of Trustees and/or their successors as set out and named in a grant document dated October 10, 1899. The successors to the original Trustees were appointed from the Township of Assiginack. The original Trustees were John Thomas Rutledge, Alexander Leask, Alexander (Sandy) Cowan, Robert Neilson and William John Tucker.
In 1903, a 1/4-acre parcel of land adjoining the cemetery was donated by Donald McDonald to the Trustees of Hilly Grove Presbyterian Church for the establishment of a Church. The Trustees named were John Thomas Rutledge, William Viney and John McKenzie. The Church was built in the same year.
The Church was closed in the early 1960’s and later renovated in the 1970’s for a cemetery Chapel. A mortuary was added to the Chapel in 1973.
In the 1960’s, an additional acre of land was purchased from Stewart McPhee.
Austin Beall donated land to the Cemetery Board in 1969, and in 1985 donated a further parcel of land to be used as a carriageway.
In 1987, the John Maguire family donated a parcel of land to the Cemetery Board for expansion of the cemetery in loving memory of George F. Maguire (1893 – 1986).
On April 24, 1984, the Hilly Grove Cemetery Board of Trustees passed a resolution requesting that the Corporation of the Township of Assiginack assume Hilly Grove Cemetery and all its assets. A final resolution was passed at said meeting dissolving the Board of Trustees.
Cemetery operations are presently supported annually by the Township of Assiginack, Tehkummah Township and Ward Three of the Township of Central Manitoulin, on behalf of our citizens who share interests in the cemetery. A Board appointed by participating Municipal Councils currently manages ongoing cemetery operations.
In 2003, the Board assumed responsibility for care and maintenance of the Lockyer Cemetery on Bidwell Road, Bidwell Cemetery at Bass Creek and the Hughson Cemetery on Springer Brook Road. Any expenses associated with these cemeteries are administered under a separate budget with the Township of Assiginack.