Media Advisory
Titanic Research Team to Hold News Conference
(Wednesday, May 16/2001)-- An news conference to discuss the exhumation of remains of three unidentified victims of the Titanic buried in Fairview Lawn Cemetery will be held on Friday, 7 p.m., in the Admiral Room, Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax.
Members of the research team, led by Dr. Ryan Parr, co-director of the Paleo-DNA Laboratory at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, are expected to be present at the news conference. Dr. Alan Ruffman, President of Geomarine Associates Limited, of Halifax, is a co-investigator with the team.
An order to exhume the remains at three grave sites has been issued by Provincial Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Strang.
HRM, as owner of the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, must comply with the order and the graves in question will be opened and closed by cemetery personnel. The grave sites will be enclosed in a tent while the DNA-sampling takes place and security personnel will be stationed on site until the graves are closed.
It is HRM's responsibility to ensure that the graves are properly opened and closed, and that all relevant protocols are followed. As with all exhumations, it is paramount that the privacy of the families involved be protected.
All media inquiries regarding exhumation of victims of the Titanic buried in Fairview Lawn Cemetery should be directed to:
Alan Ruffman
Co-Investigator, President of Geomarine Associates Limited, of Halifax
(902) 422-6482
Dr. Ryan Parr
Principal Investigator, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Anthropology
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario
(807) 343-8001
Dr. Robert Strang
Provincial Medical Officer
(902) 481-5871
Any inquires regarding HRM's role in the exhumations should be directed to:
John O'Brien
Corporate Communications Officer
(902)t 490-6531
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