revitalizing the historic Quaker Meeting House and Cemetery fence in Newmarket

Over the last few years, the fence at the historic Quaker* Meeting House and Cemetery – located at 17000 Yonge Street in Newmarket — had deteriorated and it was due for a makeover. A staple in the community, we wanted to restore the fence back to its original form to continue to honour those buried in the preserved Quaker cemetery.

So, on Saturday October 20, more than 40 volunteers from vivaNext, RapidLINK – a consortium composed of Aecon Construction and Dufferin Construction Company – and the Quaker Meeting came together to scrape, sand, prime and paint this fence. An incredible community initiative, it was truly a sight to see – cars driving by even honked to show their support.

It was a beautifully sunny fall day marked by a few sun showers, but the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of our many volunteers! All hands were on deck to restore this fence – which surrounds a cemetery containing more than 200 years of history – in record time.

This fence is now completely rejuvenated thanks to the efforts of this group and we can mark this date and add it to the interesting history of this place that dates back to the 1800s.

The historic Quaker Meeting House and Yonge Street Friends Burial Ground in Newmarket was bought, established and built by Quakers Timothy Rogers, Asa Rogers and William Doan from 1807-1810. The burial ground occupants include many of the earliest Quakers from 1807 onward. The Quaker Meeting House is the first permanent place of worship in Newmarket and around 30 other Quakers like Barbara Horwath still gather there on Sundays and Wednesdays for worship.

“We are so thankful to all the people who came out to paint this old fence. It means so much to us and our community,” said Quaker Volunteer Barbara. “This Quaker Meeting House in Newmarket gives us an opportunity to meet other Quakers who support our beliefs and to be part of a community who shares similar interests including giving back to others.”

We were honoured to contribute to the community, and look forward to making a difference in many ways.

*Quakers (also known as the Religious Society of Friends) believe that a human being can have a direct communion with God without the presence of a minister, an institution or a holy book. Quakers got their name from Judge Gervase Bennet because they “trembled” or “quaked” when they felt the spirit of God within them.