The name Poonamalie was given to this lock during construction. The name comes from Poovirundavalli, a town near Chennai (Madras) in India, which served as a garrison town for the British Army. The name was anglicized as Poonamallee and this was the originally spelling for the name of the lockstation. Speculation is that the cedar-lined banks of the Rideau River reminded one of the military men of the Indian garrison town. (Ken Watson)
This cemetery was first used as a burial ground for workers who died during the construction of the canal including 10 members of the Royal Sappers and Miners. Unfortunately, the names of the civilian workers are unknown because the wooden grave markers were lost over time.
