It’s no secret: We all want our loved ones’ (and our) final resting place to be the most beautiful and serene it could be. Thankfully in Canada, there are so many picturesque cemeteries one can choose from. From where the country’s first Prime Minister lies to an infamous Canadian folk hero’s burial grounds, one of the world’s friendliest cities give high regard to life after death.
Today, we’re going to look at Canada’s most famous cemeteries. So if you are pre-planning your funeral, looking for your loved one’s resting place or simply want to tour the country differently, check out these seven Canadian cemeteries.
- Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery – Montreal, Quebec
Those of you who want to explore Canada’s off-the-beaten-path track, then no trip is complete without visiting the country’s largest cemetery. Spanning 55 kilometres of lanes, one million people interred and 65,000 monuments, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is a sight to behold. In fact, tourists are encouraged to bring along a digitized map the area provides. Granted the idea of getting lost in a massive burial ground can raise a few hairs on our spine, moving through it can be quite marvelous. It’s got a life-sized marble reproduction of Michaelangelo’s Pieta sculpture and endless crypts that will make you feel like you’re in a different era. This cemetery is home to the final resting places of Montreal Canadiens’ great Maurice Richard and former Quebec premier Robert Bourassa.
- St. Boniface Cathedral Cemetery – Winnipeg, Manitoba
St. Boniface Cathedral Cemetery is the oldest graveyard in Western Canada. It’s ideal to come here with an open mind and welcoming imagination, as it used to have a historical cathedral erected here back in 1832. The moment you step into this place, you are instantly transported back to time and given the kind of ruins worth being in awe of. It is also the final resting place of Louis Riel, a Canadian folk hero and founder of Manitoba.
- Ross Bay Cemetery – Victoria, British Columbia
If you only have limited time to tour Canada’s popular cemeteries, then your list will not be complete without visiting the Ross Bay Cemetery. Right off the bat, you can see that it’s a history lesson, art gallery and park rolled into one. It’s hard not to admire the massive mausoleums and tall pillars meant for the elites who have passed on. Sure, its appearance is worth every Instagram post. However, it’s seedy history is what attracts many tourists from all over the world. It’s said to be an alleged site of Satanic rituals and is considered one of Canada’s most haunted gravesites.
- Cataraqui Cemetery – Kingston, Ontario
Here lies Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald. A list of Canada’s cemeteries simply won’t be complete without it. Beyond the famous personalities buried here, it’s the magnificent beauty of this graveyard that draws countless tourists every year. Boasting of immense trees, shrubs and ravines seamlessly blending with the tombstones in the area, it looks exactly like a picturesque park you don’t mind exploring. It’s believed that the cemetery’s design was patterned after the early 1800’s France and United States.
- Beechwood Cemetery – Ottawa, Ontario
If it’s an elaborate garden graveyard you’re looking for, then you’ll get more than what you expect in Beechwood Cemetery. It’s home to 300 species of hostas and, in the spring, more than 30,000 tulips. It’s no surprise many want to visit this place or consider it their gravesite in the future. The 65-hectare cemetery even boasts of neo-gothic architecture and features stained glass windows by renowned artist James Bloomfield. Over 75,000 Canadians are buried here, including soldiers, war vets and politicians like Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden and the man known as the “Greatest Canadian,” Tommy Douglas, who founded the country’s universal health-care system.
- Fairview Cemetery – Halifax, Nova Scotia
Perhaps what makes this gravesite most famous is that it is the final resting place of 121 victims of the infamous sunken ship, Titanic. Some of the tombstones here remain unnamed, with just the date of their deaths and a marker number. Readers’ Digest reports: “One of the better known graves is for The Unknown Child, a child victim who wasn’t identified until 2008 through forensic testing. The child turned out to be Sidney Leslie Goodwin, a 19-month-old English boy who died with his entire family during the disaster.”
- Necropolis Cemetery – Toronto, Ontario
The most outstanding feature of this olden cemetery is its Victorian architecture. Established in 1850, one of its finest attractions is the flawless stained glass windows found in the chapel. Moreover, its twisting paths, mesmerizing hills and crumbling tombstone make this cemetery a city of its own. Some of the most famous names buried here are the city’s first mayor William Lyon Mackenzie, rebellious journalist George Brown and, more recently, federal NDP leader Jack Layton.