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Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
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Established
November 4, 1876
Designated
2000
Owned by
Mount Pleasant Group
Founded
4 November 1876
Location
375 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4T 2V8
Website
www.mountpleasantgroup.com
Official name
Mount Pleasant Cemetery National Historic Site of Canada
Burials
Frederick Banting, William Lyon Mackenzie King
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In the early 19th century, the only authorized cemeteries within the city of Toronto (then known as York) were limited to the members of either the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England. Deceased citizens who did not belong to either of these Christian denominations had no choice but to find burial arrangements outside of the city. In 1873, a new cemetery available to all citizens was conceived. Originally a 200-acre (0.81 km2) farm, on the far outskirts of Toronto, Mount Pleasant Cemetery opened on November 4, 1876 with more than twelve miles (19 km) of carriage drives along rolling hills and ponds. Mount Pleasant Road was later constructed to pass through the centre of the cemetery and is named after this cemetery. With the growth in population, today the cemetery is located in the centre of the city. While the watercourses have since been filled in, the cemetery still has many miles of walking paths, interspersed with fountains, statues, botanical gardens, and rare and distinct trees.
The cemetery also has remains from Toronto Potter's Field, an early burial grounds that closed in 1855 between 1870s to 1881.
As the final resting place of more than 168,000 persons, Mount Pleasant Cemetery contains remarkable architecture amongst its many monuments. The cemetery was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2000.
Mount Pleasant Visitation Centre
Completed in the Fall of 2009, the Mount Pleasant Visitation Centre is a new building of approximately 2,200 square meters in size built on the cemetery grounds and providing visitation space and chapel services.
The cemetery began planning the building as early as 2004, but disputes with the City of Toronto, local ratepayer associations, and the Ontario Municipal Board all delayed the project. Changes were made as a result of this process, most notably vehicle access is now through the cemetery grounds only (near the cemetery offices), not directly from Moore Avenue.
Memorials
To commemorate the 118 lives lost in the fire that destroyed the Great Lakes luxury cruise liner SS Noronic on September 17, 1949, a memorial was erected by the Government of Ontario.
Children's Garden Memorial was created to remember all the stillborn and children without known parents the province buried in one area with no stones or markers.
A memorial was erected sometime after 1912 in honour of two soldiers killed returning from a training exercise in 1912 and as a monument to the 48th Highlanders of Canada's veterans and war dead of the South African War.
Notable interments
Veterans
William George 'Billy' Barker, VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Two Bars (1894–1930), LCOL, 201 Squadron, RAF. World War I flying ace, Victoria Cross recipient.
George Fraser Kerr, VC, MC & Bar, MM (1895–1929), CAPT, 3rd battalion (Toronto) Central Ontario Regiment, CEF. World War I Victoria Cross recipient.
Guy Simonds senior officer of the Canadian Army in World War II, known as the "Liberator of Holland."
Titanic
Arthur Godfrey Peuchen Lieutenant-Colonel (1859–1929) was a Canadian businessman and RMS Titanic survivor. He was also a World War I veteran.
Ethel Flora Fortune (1883-1961) was a first-class passenger and a survivor of RMS Titanic.
Medicine Personalities
Sir Frederick Banting (1891–1941) & Charles Best (1899–1978), co-discoverers of insulin. Banting, a Major in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps at his death, is one of 230 Commonwealth service personnel from both World Wars who are buried in this cemetery and registered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Alexander Muir (1830–1906), author of The Maple Leaf Forever (1867), Canada's early (unofficial) national anthem
John Rutsey (1953-2008), original drummer for progressive rock band Rush
Robert Watkin-Mills (1849-1930), concert and oratorio singer
Business People
Alfred J. Billes (1902–1995), co-founder of Canadian Tire.
George Montegu Black II (1911–1976), president of Canadian Breweries Limited.
Matthew James Boylen (1907–1970), mining magnate (Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corp. Ltd), racehorse owner.
William Mellis Christie (1829 – 1900) is the namesake for the Canadian Mr. Christie brand of cookies and biscuits.
George Albertus Cox (1840–1914), businessman (founder of Central Canada Loan and Savings Company and National Trust Company), Ontario MP and Senator.
Robert T. Davies (1849–1916), businessman, racehorse owner
William Henry Davies (entrepreneur) (1831 – 1921) Canada's first meat packer, also first artificial refrigeration.
Timothy Eaton (1834–1907), department store magnate (Eaton's)
James Henry Gundy (1880–1951), stockbroker, co-founder of Wood Gundy Inc.
Henry R. Jackman (1900-1979), businessman and politician, father of Lieutenant Governor Henry N.R. Jackman
Albert Edward Kemp (1858–1929), businessman and politician
Hart Massey (1823–1896), businessman (founder of Massey-Harris) and philanthropist
William McMaster (1811–1887), banker, statesman, a founder of McMaster University and CIBC
Ryland H. New (1888–1979), businessman (head of Hamilton and Toronto Sewer Pipe Company and founder of National Sewer Pipe Company Limited), racehorse owner
Arthur Godfrey Peuchen (1859-1929), businessman (Standard Chemical, Iron & Lumber Company of Canada, Ltd), soldier; survivor of RMS Titanic
Edward S. Rogers Sr. (1900–1939), founder of Rogers Majestic
Joseph Rotman (1935-2015), businessman and philanthropist
Steve Stavro (1928–2006), businessman (founder of Knob Hill Farms), horse breeder, former owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Robert Simpson (1834–1897), department store magnate (Robert Simpson Limited)
Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet (1923 – 2006), businessman (son of founder of Thomson Corporation), art collector, richest person in Canada
George Weston (1864–1924), businessman, founder of George Weston Limited
W. Garfield Weston (1898–1978), businessman and British MP
Politicians
James Cox Aikins (1823–1904), politician (Canada West MLA, Ontario Senator, federal cabinet minister), Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Herbert Henry Ball (1863–1943), politician (Toronto alderman, Ontario MPP and cabinet minister (King's Printer of Ontario)
Fred Gardiner (1895–1983), politician (reeve of Forest Hill, Metro Toronto Chairman)
William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874–1950), Prime Minister of Canada
Egerton Ryerson (1803–1882), minister, educator, politician (Chief Superintendent of Education for Upper Canada), and public education advocate
Sir Clifford Sifton, politician (Manitoba MLA, Ontario MP, federal Minister of the Interior)
Donald Dean Summerville, Mayor of Toronto and Toronto Alderman (Beach)
William Summerville, Member of Toronto Board of Control, Ontario MPP
Howard P. Whidden, clergyman, professor, politician (Manitoba MP), Chancellor of McMaster University
Premiers of Ontario:
George Howard Ferguson (1870–1946)
William Hearst (1864–1941)
George Stewart Henry (1871–1958)
Sir Oliver Mowat (1820–1903), also considered a Father of Canadian Confederation
John Rolph (politician) was a physician, lawyer and political figure in Upper Canada.
George William Ross (1841–1914)
Lieutenant Governors of Ontario:
John Black Aird (1923–1995), lawyer
Herbert Alexander Bruce (1868–1963), surgeon (buried: Plot Q, Lot 143)
Sir William Clark (1836-1915), lawyer
Lionel Herbert Clarke (1859–1921), brewer
John Keiller MacKay (1888–1970), lawyer, judge
Albert Edward Matthews (1873–1949), broker
Mayors of Toronto:
Samuel McBride (1866–1936), lumber merchant
Robert John Fleming (1854–1925), businessman
Warring Kennedy (1827–1904), businessman
Robert Hood Saunders (1903–1955), lawyer
Thomas Urquhart (1858–1931), lawyer
Allan Lamport (1903–1999), Toronto Transit Commission Commissioner
William Dennison (1905-1981) educator
Clergymen
Arnold Brown (1913–2002), General of The Salvation Army
Jonathan Goforth (1859–1936), Presbyterian Missionary
Sports Personalities
Billy Burch (1900–1950), Hall of Fame ice-hockey player
Charlie Conacher (1909–1967), Hall of Fame ice hockey player (NHL) and coach of the Oshawa Generals. Buried Section 41, Lot 351
George Imlach (1918–1987), hockey player, NHL general manager and head coach
Dick Irvin (1892–1957), Hall of Fame ice-hockey player and coach
George Knudson (1937–1989), PGA Tour golfer
Igor Korolev (1970-2011), Russian born NHL and KHL hockey player, KHL coach
George Seymour Lyon (1858–1938), Olympic Gold Medal golfer
Bill Zock (1918–1988), Hall of Fame CFL football player
Other
James Bain (1842–1908), first chief librarian of the Toronto Public Library
Victor Child (1897–1960), painter, etcher and illustrator at the Toronto Telegram
Greg Clark (journalist), OC OBE MC (25 September 1892 – 3 February 1977) was a Canadian war veteran, journalist, and humorist.
Fred Davis (1921–1996), popular television and radio host
Jack Dennett (1916 – 1975) was a Canadian radio and television announcer.
