PROGRAMS > Cemetery Preservation

Cemetery Defence


The Ontario Historical Society works to protect the vulnerable and valuable heritage of Ontario's cemeteries.  Charitable tax receipts are issued for all donations to the Cemetery Defence Fund. 

Right: Priceville Black Cemetery, preserved and protected by the Old Durham Road Pioneer Cemetery Committee, an OHS affiliate since 1999. Photo Rob Leverty

Cemetery News Column

Cemetery News is a column that appears in each OHS Bulletin describing challenges, solutions, and events surrounding Ontario's cemeteries, especially its heritage pioneer cemeteries.  It is written by longtime volunteer and recent Cruikshank Medal winner Marjorie Stuart.  Marjorie can be contacted at marjstuart@sympatico.ca.

To view past Cemetery News columns online, click here.

One common theme which runs throughout many Cemetery News columns is the need to register an unregistered cemetery! 

Registering a Cemetery

Unregistered cemeteries have very little protection under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act. These cemeteries may be relocated with the minimum of notice and input from interested parties.

There is very little that can be done to protect burial sites and the dignity of the deceased if their presence is unknown to authorities.

It is important that all known burial locations in Ontario be registered with:

The Cemeteries Regulation Unit,
Ministry of Business Services,
Place Nouveau, Suite 1500,
5775 Yonge Street,
Toronto, ON M7A 2E5. 
Toll Free: 1.800.889.9768

All cemeteries should also be recorded on the municipality's Official Town Plan. This is particularly important in the case of unmarked burial sites. Interested parties should contact their Municipality's Clerk, or if possible, its heritage planner for more information.

To view a listing of unregistered cemeteries in Ontario, click here.

 

Unregistered Cemeteries

In 2011, a joint Ontario Historical Society and Ontario Genealogical Society volunteer committee began a project to locate all of the cemeteries across Ontario which have not yet been registered with the Province (Ministry of Consumer Services) and therefore do not enjoy the same legal protection. This project, which is still ongoing, is organized geographically by county and will be submitted to the Registrar of the Cemeteries Protection Act (Revised).

Read joint OHS-OGS letter to Registrar, March 29, 2012

To date, the following have been completed:

Algoma County

In June 2011, the OHS and OGS officially presented the  Government of Ontario with a binder  listing all the unregistered cemeteries in the Province. Seen here left to right are Rob Leverty, OHS; Marjorie Stuart, OHS; the Hon. John Gerretsen, Minister of Consumer Services (responsible for cemeteries), MPP (Kingston and the Islands); Diane Clendenan, OGS; Jim Brownell, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister, MPP (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry) and Bob Crawford, Secretary and Past President, OGS. Since 2005, with the help from members of the two societies, Marjorie and Diane have donated countless hours to research, document and compile a listing of over 1,500 unregistered cemeteries across Ontario.

 
 
Brant County
 

Send information about your local unregistered cemeteries to: marjstuart@sympatico.ca

 

 

 

Doors Open Cemeteries 2012

 

DATE TOWNSHIP/CITY CEMETERY TIME
       
MAY 26-27 Kincardine  Kincardine Cemetery   10-4
  Rockport  St. Brendan’s Cemetery 10-4
  Toronto   Fort York Burial Grounds 10-5
  Prescott Blue Church Cemetery 10-4
  Lyn Old Stone Church 10-4
       
JUNE 2 Vandorf Wesley United Church Cemetery 10-4
2-3 Owen Sound Greenwood Cemetery & Mausoleum 10-4
3 Penetanguishene St James-on-the-Line Cemetery 12-4
9 Hampton  Eldad United Church Cemetery 10-4
9-10 Burlington St. Luke's Anglican Church Cemetery 10-4 Sat
12-4 Sun
  Burlington Union Burying Grounds 10-4
16-17 Chippawa Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery 10-4 Sat
12-4 Sun
  St Catharines  St George’s Anglican Cemetery 10-4 Sat
12-4 Sun
23 Barriefield St Mark’s Anglican Cemetery 10-4
  Kingston St Paul’s Anglican Churchyard 10-4
       
AUGUST 11 Porcupine Whitney Cemetery 10-4
  Timmins Timmins Memorial Cemetery 10-4
25 Pefferlaw Cooke’s United Church Cemetery 10-3
  Pefferlaw  Johnston Cemetery 10-3
       
SEPT. 8-9 Williamstown St. Raphael’ s Cemetery 10-4
9  Fenelon Falls St James Anglican Cemetery 10-4
15 Haldimand Canborough Cemetery 10-4
  Lloydtown   Lloydtown Pioneer Cemetery 10-4
  Ruthven Park  Indiana Roman Catholic Cemetery 10-4
  Ruthven Park Thompson Family Cemetery  10-4
     York   St. John’s Anglican Cemetery 10-4
     York Young Tract Burial Ground 10-4
15-16 Algonquin Highlands
(Maple Lake)		 St Peter’s Anglican Cemetery 9-4 Sat
9-1 Sun
22 Brantford Mohawk Chapel 10-4
  Brantford Mount Pleasant  Cemetery 10-4
  Burford Burford Pioneer Cemetery 10-4
  Chepstow Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic Cemetery 10-4
  Grimsby St Andrew’s Anglican Cemetery 10-4
  Thornhill St Patrick’s & Thornhill Community Cemetery 10-4
  Vienna St Luke’s Anglican Cemetery 10-5
29 Ajax  Elizabeth Street Pioneer Cemetery 10-4
  Ajax  Pine Ridge Memorial Gardens Cemetery 10-4
  Keewatin Keewatin Cemetery 1pm tour
  Kenora  Lake of the Woods Cemetery 2-4
  Sparta Quaker Cemetery  10-4
29-30 Alvinston Mount Carmel Cemetery 10-4
  Dresden  Uncle Tom’s Cabin and adjacent cemetery 10-4 
  London Brick Street Cemetery  10-4
  Maple St Andrew’s Presbyterian Cemetery  after service
  Muncey  Burwell Memorial Cemetery 10-4 
  North Buxton Buxton NHS and Cemetery 10-4
  St Thomas Old St Thomas Churchyard  10-4 Sat
12-4 Sun
  Thornhill  Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery Yonge St 10-4
30 Windsor Our Lady of Assumption Cemetery 1-4
  Windsor St John’s Anglican Churchyard  12-4
       

 

 

 

 

Clendenen Cemetery - Honouring Markham's Heritage

From Cemetery News,
December 2007 OHS Bulletin, Issue 162
Marjorie Stuart marjstuart@sympatico.ca

 

Saturday, November 10th 2007 was a lovely sunny day. It is usually a bleak and cold day but for the Clendenen family it was a triumphant day. Over fifty people gathered for the rededication of this pioneer cemetery and unveiling of a plaque to honour, John and Magdalene Clendenen and their descendants. They were one of the Town of Markham's earliest families. The Clendenens are believed to have settled their land in the late 1790s. The property remained in the family until 1950.

Harold Clendenen, along with his brother, Gordon, and sister, Muriel Reesor, were joined by nieces, nephews, and numerous cousins. Members of the heritage community from all over the Greater Toronto Area attended in this historic event.  The family appears in the picture (right).

In 1995 the Town of Markham and the property developer asked the Ontario Registrar of Cemeteries to order that it was in the public interest for this pioneer cemetery to be officially closed and moved. The Ontario Historical Society and the Ontario Genealogical Society joined forces to appeal the Provincial decision to the Commercial Registration Appeal Tribunal. The appeal hearing took place in Toronto from November 27, 1995 until July 30, 1997 and it was the first time such a case had ever been heard in the Province of Ontario. It took 19 months for the Tribunal's three Hearing Officers to write and release their decision. In February 1999, the Tribunal ruled in favour of the OHS and OGS appeal declaring that it was not in the public interest to close and move Clendenen Cemetery. This was a landmark ruling!

John Webster, Markham Councillor (Ward 5), introduced the various speakers and people who assembled at the Clendenen Cemetery for the plaque unveiling. Mayor Frank Scarpitti spoke about the importance of the Town's rich history. He mentioned the struggle to save the Clendenen cemetery and said that there had been a dramatic change in attitude towards preservation of Markham's many pioneer cemeteries and pledged that there would never be another closure issue. Town Historian, Lorne Smith, spoke about the Clendenen family and said that plans were under way to preserve four other pioneer family burial grounds - Wurts, Pingle, Reesor and Hoover. Along with the Clendenen family these were all pioneers who settled in Markham in the late 1790s. Rev. Dr. John Niles rededicated the cemetery and spoke of the earliest Methodist minister, Rev. Bangs. He had been a "saddlebag" preacher who covered the territory from Kingston to York Region. Rev. Dr. Niles spoke of the tradition of consecrating a burial ground with oil and water for the purpose of setting this land apart for the glory of God and the eternal rest of the believers.

Harold Clendenen then spoke briefly and from his heart when he thanked the OHS and OGS and in particular certain individuals who had stood by the family in the struggle to preserve Clendenen Cemetery. He repeated what he had said on the witness stand ten years ago. "A cemetery is a cemetery forever and forever." For the Clendenen family and their many friends this was a fine tribute and ending to what could have been a black page in Ontario's history.

A memorable rededication ceremony of the Clendenen Family Cemetery then took place and the historical plaque to commemorate the restoration of this cemetery was unveiled.

A decade ago, The Town of Markham, with the Province of Ontario and the developer, fiercely fought against the OHS and OGS and the descendants. On behalf of the OHS and OGS, I would like to congratulate the Mayor of Markham, the Council and staff for holding on November 10, 2007 a very honourable and dignified ceremony. Now the Town of Markham has officially joined us in the struggle for the public interest.

This was a great day for the original and authentic history of Ontario!