Nine Ships 1825

10/01/2026

Members of the Board of Nine Ships 1825 were pleased to accept an invitation from the Irish Consulate in Toronto to meet with Jerry Buttimer, T.D., the Irish Minister of State for Charities, Gaeltacht and the Islands & Rural Transport, the Minister's private secretary Michelle Kilcommons, and Cork County Councillor Jack White on Monday (September 28).

The dinner meeting, which was graciously hosted by Vice Consul General Cahal Sweeney, provided ample time for the Board to chat with Minister Buttimer about the Peter Robinson Emigration and our Bicentennial Commemoration in 2025. The Board also presented Minister Buttimer with a copy each of our Bicentennial Souvenir and Bicentennial Reflections books.

We would like to thank the Irish Consulate in Toronto and Vice Consul General Cahal Sweeney for giving our Board the opportunity to be ambassadors for Nine Ships 1825 and the Peterborough area!

[Image Captions | Image 1 (L to R): Cork County Councillor Jack White, Vice Consul General Cahal Sweeney, Nine Ships Board Member Elwood Jones, Nine Ships Vice-Chair Mary Smith, Jerry Buttimer, T.D., Nine Ships Board Member Dennis Carter-Edwards, Nine Ships Board Member Maureen Crowley, Warden Bonnie Clark.

Image 2: Members of the Board of Nine Ships 1825 with Jerry Buttimer, T.D., Cork County Councillor Jack White, Vice Consul General Cahal Sweeney, Warden Bonnie Clark and her husband, and Michelle Kilcommons, the Minister's private secretary.]

09/30/2026

Today (September 30) is The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As we take a moment to reflect upon the lasting impacts of the Residential School system and honour Residential School survivors, their families and their communities, we also wanted to reflect on our own role in advancing Truth and Reconciliation efforts throughout the planning and ex*****on of our Bicentennial Commemoration in 2025.

Our efforts to work collaboratively with First Nations communities in our region began as soon as our planning efforts did. We knew that in order to plan a respectful commemoration, we needed to recognize the impact the arrival of the Peter Robinson Irish emigrants had on these communities.

Mary Smith, Vice-Chair of Nine Ships 1825, wrote the article "Truth and Reconciliation Considerations while Commemorating the Peter Robinson Emigration of 1825" to document our efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation throughout the organization and implementation of our Bicentennial Commemoration. The article appears at the end of Bicentennial Reflections, and we hope it serves as a starting place for other communities looking to plan similar commemorations. We're sharing three short excerpts today, but if you would like to read the full article, please reach out to us and we will send you a copy.

More information about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation can be found on the Government of Canada website, here: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html and on: https://orangeshirtday.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUqXFxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5jP458K3lyHygAreciXK8ZwG1OQQNl9DhzrI0DneFYBuh-aMYeGDtYHE6WVw_aem_lRFf96rh0bbNnUCqV7ZLZw

09/30/2026

🧡 September 30 marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. 🧡

This day honours Residential School Survivors, their families and communities, and remembers the children who never returned home. It is a time to reflect on the lasting impacts of residential schools and the ongoing journey toward truth, healing, and reconciliation.

The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem experienced by many Indigenous children and reminds us that Every Child Matters.

The art work brings together symbols representing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, united by a circle symbolizing reconciliation and a pathway representing the journey forward. The stars honour the children who never returned home, while the orange colour represents truth-telling, remembrance, and healing.

We encourage everyone to wear orange, take
time to learn, and reflect on how we can support reconciliation in our communities and beyond.

Learn more
🔗 https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html
🔗 https://orangeshirtday.org/

09/23/2026

09/23/2026

Global Peterborough did an excellent feature on the cemetery survey work Patrick Leahy and John Tierney with Historic Graves have been doing in Peterborough County over the past week! Check it out below:

09/19/2026