Mount Pleasant Cemetery

In the early 1800s, the only authorized cemeteries within the city of Toronto (then known as York) were limited to the members of either the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church. Deceased citizens who did not belong to these two religions 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 farm, on the far outskirts of Toronto, Mount Pleasant Cemetery opened on November 4, 1876, resplendent with more than twelve miles of carriage drives along rolling hills and blue lakes filled with ducks and swans.

With the growth in population, today the cemetery is located in the center of the city. While the watercourses have since been filled in, the cemetery still has many miles of walking paths, interspersed with fountains, botanical gardens, and rare and distinct trees. As the final resting place of more than 168,000 Torontonians, Mount Pleasant Cemetery contains a remarkable architecture amongst its many monuments.

A few of the notable Canadians buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery are:

• Frederick Banting & Charles Best -- Co-Discoverers of Insulin
• Timothy Eaton -- department store magnate
• Robert Simpson -- department store magnate & Eaton's rival
• Foster Hewitt -- broadcaster
• Glenn Gould -- pianist, composer
• Gerhard Heintzman[?] -- piano manufacturer
• William Lyon Mackenzie King -- Prime Minister of Canada
• John F. Stairs - businessman, politician

See also: List of other famous cemeteries