Burying the Deceased

Camp Kościuszko was the first place in Canada to report a case of the Spanish Flu. The medical staff tried to stop the spread of the disease by imposing a two-week quarantine on drafts of new recruits, who were still allowed to come into the camp.
The Poles and their Canadian instructors were struck hard, with hundreds hospitalized. In the end, 33 Poles succumbed to the virus.

A total of 41 Polish volunteers died at Camp Kościuszko during the 18 months that the camp was open. Twenty-five men, including 20 flu victims, were buried with full military honours in a special plot in St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery, which has since been designated as a part of sovereign Poland. Pictured here, are some of the Polish recruits digging the graves for those who remain in Niagara. The cemetery has become a remarkable destination for an annual pilgrimage since 1920. Image from the Polish Amy Veterans Association of America, Inc. Archives, New York .