Toronto Necropolis & Crematorium

I love cemeteries. I love the history, the architecture, the silence and the peace and the beautiful grounds. Toronto’s 1851 Necropolis is one of the best smaller cemeteries I’ve seen hands down in Toronto for sure. This site is not the original burial site for the thousands of people lying here now, but rather the dead in this beautiful spot were moved en masse from a burial plot close to now Yonge and Bloor Sts back in the mid 19^th century; a bit of Toronto history there for you. Toronto does have history, but sadly, we tend to destroy the last remnants OF the city’s history compared to say, Montréal.
That being said, there are a lot of important historical figures here in this beautiful spot in Cabbagetown and you can ask for a historical burial map in the cemetery office (common practice amongst many cemeteries). For example, one of our Fathers of Confederation is laid here, Sir George Brown (who owned the original Globe and Mail in the mid 19^th century and Canada’s oldest newspaper) and yes, the same named George Brown College; an important figure in our Confederation. All Fathers of Confederation’s burial sites are Historical Monuments and taken care of in perpetuity by the Government of Canada.
The Necropolis oozes Victorian. The Chapel is quite non-​denominational but the architecture is beautiful English Gothic Revival. A beautiful place to sit and take in the history. Another notable section of the cemetery is the lower portion, down the hill towards the back which leads to many of the Nation’s World War Burials, especially World War I, which feels like you are walking amongst all the youngest members of Canada’s early military, eager to sign up for a War they could never be prepared for. As a ritual, I always leave my Remembrance Day Poppy at a grave site of one of these young men many of them barely 17 years old. It’s Canada’s history and it is important not to forget those who served our nation.
Definitely worth a trip if you enjoy cemeteries, Canadian history, as well as beautifully taken care of grounds and Victorian architecture at its finest in Upper Canada — 1851 predates Confederation so this is a cemetery from the time of Upper Canada but a wonderful mix of Scottish, English, Irish are buried here representing 3 of the 4 original European countries, but all much later than the French who are the first true Europeans in Canada and are buried more in Montréal, Quebec, etc., and at that, Catholic cemeteries such as Toronto’s Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery.
Regardless, take a walk during the autumn. It is like stepping back in time and the colours of the old maple and oak trees are wonderful; this is a beautiful cemetery for some peace of mind amongst the busy city that engulfed it and is almost a cemetery almost forgotten. Go visit. You will love it.

I love cemeteries. I know that sounds creepy for someone to say, but it’s kind of a form of refuge for me, a nice escape. I’ve only been to Necropolis a couple times, but it’s a nice place to walk around and see a bit of Toronto’s history in stone. This small cemetery is close to reaching capacity, so if you want a plot, there is not much space left. There aren’t as many famous faces in Necropolis compared to Mt. Pleasant, but its worth seeing if you are in the area. Riverdale Farms is across the street, so it makes a nice outing! :)

Well three things: As a kid, I grew very close to a cemetery and never thought much about it. In fact the very first time I went to it was to cycle, which I know is a bit odd since well, all the dead people and all. However the amount of people that goes on a jog/​walk in cemeteries is way larger than you think!
Second, as a photographer, they make for great locations, plenty of green space, lots of creative variety within to use as a backgrounds and lastly they are a great place to think about a city’s history. Some of the most famous and sometimes strange stories can be found here. Including the odd and the creepy.
There are some mayor and people of interested buried here, like Toronto first mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie and a number of interesting businessmen, like Thornton Blackburn, a black slave who established Toronto’s first cab service.
Or for example… Did you know one of the tombstones ACTUALLY has a web address? (!) A girl who kept a blog — I was curious and slightly creeped-​out enough to check it on my phone. So even though she is no longer with us, she still has an online presence and… still getting hits.
Also fun fact: There used to be a cemetery at %$@##$%# Yonge and Bloor during the 1800’s and as the owners of the land realized the future importance of the intersection they dug everyone up and moved them here. Most of those graves are on the east side, most of them only marked by numbers now. It reminds you about the levity of life and makes you wonder if they left anything behind… Or if they are allowed to get a tombstone that reads «I was buried at Yonge and Bloor in the 1800’s then got my remains dug up and moved here and all I got was this lousy number!»
Now, Toronto’s Necropolis might not be the most grand nor architecturally the best cemetery in the world but it is part of our city history and one day if you feel like going through a stroll, I would recommend for you to swing by, check it out.

This cemetery is so picturesque. It’s a kind of escape, a peaceful place in Toronto. It’s full of trees and there’s a big hill down at the end. What was really interesting was to see that some of the graves were at the edge of the hill. This place is huge, so if you want to see it all, make sure you give yourself enough time.

I have always had a soft spot for cemeteries, having dragged friends to places like London’s Highgate, wandering through cemeteries in places such as St Andrew’s Scotland, Dundee Scotland, Ely, Lithuania, Poland etc. Each and every one I see is unique, but all share the same qualities which Toronto’s Necropolis has — a deep history. Toronto’s Necropolis is a perfect spot to visit, as it is a small oasis of quiet tranquility in the midst of a bustling downtown core. The place is so peaceful the loudest sound you hear is that of birdsong, the chittering of squirrels.

Take it from someone who loves cemeteries and has once trudged through one alone in knee-​deep snow — the Necropolis rocks! Not ‘rocks’ like it’s some happening place to be, but it’s gorgeous for contemplative walks, paying your respects, or what have you. Really, it gets five stars for the stunning Gothic chapel alone. I literally could not stop admiring the intricately-​carved, vine-​covered piece from another era. And hey, if it turns out that being reminded of death and mortality isn’t really your thing, you can hop on over to the cute little animal farm next door.