St. James Cemetery (Toronto)

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Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox Cemetery St. James' Cemetery and Crematorium is a historic cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the oldest cemetery in Toronto that is still in use, having opened in 1844.[1] It was originally the burial ground for the Cathedral Church of St. James, but it later became non-denominational. The main entrance to the cemetery is located at 635 Parliament Street, north of Wellesley Street East. Just to the west is the St. James Town neighbourhood, which is named after the cemetery.

History

File:Funeral of Canadian volunteers killed at Ridgeway in the Fenian Invasion (St. James cemetery, Toronto) Pictures-r-1310.jpg
Funeral at St. James' Cemetery in 1866 for Canadian militiamen who fought in the Battle of Ridgeway.

The cemetery opened in July 1844 for the burial of people professing the Anglican faith. At that time, most of the city's population of 18,000 lived south of Queen Street West, and the cemetery's location was regarded during that era as being outside the city limits. The cemetery was necessary because the burial ground around the cathedral itself, in use since 1797, was out of room.[2]

The large, impressive specimen of copper beech tree that grows next to the chapel was planted by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) during his visit to Canada in 1919.[3]

Recognizing the growing trend throughout the world towards cremation, a crematorium was added in 1948. As of 2020, over 95,000 interments and 114,000 cremations have taken place at the cemetery.[1]

The cemetery is home to the Chapel of St. James-the-Less, which sits atop a knoll at the highest point of the cemetery. In its harmonious composition, this small funeral chapel is a splendid example of Victorian Gothic design. Its sense of strength and spirituality is derived from the subtle contrast of its stone walls, enveloping roofs, and soaring spire. Erected in 1860 and opened in 1861, the chapel was designed by Cumberland and Storm, one of Toronto's leading 19th-century architectural firms. The Chapel of St. James-the-Less was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.[4][5]

Notable interments

File:St. James Cemetery (38415894866).jpg
Mausoleum of James Austin, founder of The Dominion Bank (predecessor of TD Bank).
File:Grave of William Pearce Howland, St. James Cemetery, Toronto.jpg
Grave of William Pearce Howland, the second Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
File:John Robarts gravesite photo by Djuradj Vujcic.jpg
Grave of John Robarts, the seventeenth Premier of Ontario.

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War graves

The cemetery contains the war graves of 42 Commonwealth service personnel, 16 from each of the two World Wars.[41]

References

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  4. Chapel of St. James-the-Less Anglican Church, Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
  5. Chapel of St. James-the-Less Anglican Church, National Register of Historic Places
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  41. [1] CWGC Cemetery Report. Breakdown obtained from casualty record.

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Bibliography

  • Jones, Donald. "Tombs of Toronto's first families. A walk in St. James' Cemetery recalls the pageantry in our past." Toronto Star. Toronto: October 2, 1993. Section C, p. G-8.

External links

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