Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
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Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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 (0.8 km²) farm, on the far outskirts of Toronto, Mount Pleasant Cemetery opened on November 4, 1876, resplendent with more than twelve miles (19 km) 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
- William George 'Billy' Barker (1894-1930), World War I flying ace, Victoria Cross recipient
- Billy Burch (1900-1950), Hall of Fame ice-hockey player
- Fred Davis (1921-1996), popular television host
- Timothy Eaton, department store magnate
- George Howard Ferguson (1870-1946), Premier of Ontario
- Northrop Frye (1912-1991), educator, literary critic
- Glenn Gould (1932-1982), pianist, composer
- William Hearst (1864-1941), Premier of Ontario
- Foster Hewitt, broadcaster
- Bertha Harmer (1880-1934), prominent Canadian/American nurse
- Gerhard Heintzman, piano manufacturer
- George Stewart Henry (1871-1958), Premier of Ontario
- Dick Irvin (1892-1957), Hall of Fame ice-hockey player and coach
- William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada
- George Knudson (1937-1989), PGA golfer
- Laura Muntz Lyall (1860-1930), artist
- Oliver Mowat (1820-1903), Premier of Ontario
- George William Ross (1841-1914), Premier of Ontario
- Robert Simpson, department store magnate & Eaton's rival
- Joseph Smith, father of actress Mary Pickford
- John F. Stairs (1848-1904), businessman, politician
- Bill Zock Jr. (1928-1988), Hall of Fame CFL football player
See also: List of other famous cemeteries