theme parks for the dead
Originally posted November 21, 2007
For many reasons I tend to view cemeteries as destinations. They are parks for strolling, or when travelling, are tourist attractions. This is a view of the Yukon River from the cemetery overlooking Dawson, taken when I first arrived in October. This cemetery has a number of features, including crib-like picket fences and old illegible wooden grave markers. This is actually the third gravesite; the first, by the Yukon, was prone to flooding and erosion, and the second, on 8th Avenue, filled rapidly in the gold rush.
In another part of this cemetery there are a number of graves covered with masses of decorations reflecting their inhabitants. One, for example, has a collection of frogs (stuffed toy frogs, ceramic frogs, frog kitsch galore), which on a grave with a french family name indicates a good sense of humour.
Several graves seemed to be for dead young hockey players. Tattered hockey jerseys on tombstones, hockey sticks and pads. Unopened cans of beer. Many of these people were no more than 20 when they died, and I know nothing about them, but suspect the often lethal combination of youth, alcohol and motor vehicles.
And this is just of glimpse of the cemetery theme park overlooking Dawson.
