Little Lake Cemetery is a

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

located in

Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...

, Canada. It opened in 1850 and is located on the southern shore of Little Lake.

History

Founded in 1850 as a private trust cemetery with a public mandate, Little Lake Cemetery was the first community non-profit cemetery in

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...

. Prior to its establishment, the people of

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

buried their dead in the middle of town where

Peterborough Collegiate PACE at Peterborough Collegiate, formerly Peterborough Collegiate Vocational School, is a public secondary school located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada and is a member of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. It is one of the oldest ...

now stands. This downtown cemetery was closed in 1854. The cemetery was surveyed by F.F. Passmore, with the assistance of

Sandford Fleming Sir Sandford Fleming (January 7, 1827 – July 22, 1915) was a Scottish Canadian engineer and inventor. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to colonial Canada at the age of 18. He promoted worldwide standard time zones, a prime meridian, ...

. The chapel was constructed in the

Carpenter Gothic Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic or Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures ...

style in 1877 by Alfred Belcher, brother of John E. Belcher. Some argued the construction of a chapel went against the non-denominational character of the cemetery, but it is largely a decorative landmark and a convenience during inclement weather.

Notable interments

* John E. Belcher (1834–1915), architect and engineer *

John Bertram John Bertram (16 October 1837 – 28 November 1904) was a businessman and a Member of Parliament in Canada. Bertram was born at Fenton Barns, near Dirleton, Scotland, to Hugh Bertram and Isabella Mack. Bertram emigrated to Canada in 1860 ...

(1837–1904), Member of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

for

Peterborough West Peterborough West was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1953. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867 which divided the County of Pe ...

(1872–1878) * Frank Buckland (1902–1991), ice hockey administrator *

Isabella Valancy Crawford Isabella Valancy Crawford (25 December 1846 – 12 February 1887) was an Irish-born Canadian writer and poet. She was one of the first Canadians to make a living as a freelance writer. "Crawford is increasingly being viewed as Canada's first maj ...

(1846–1887), writer and poet *

Iva Campbell Fallis Iva Campbell Fallis (June 23, 1883 – March 7, 1956) was the second female Canadian Senator. Early life and family Iva Campbell Fallis was born on a Northumberland County farm near Castledon, ON June 23, 1883. Fallis was the daughter of Je ...

(1883–1956), second female Canadian

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

* H. E. T. Haultain (1869–1961), engineer and inventor * Henry Rowe Hocking Kenner (1867–1944), educator *

Colleen Peterson Colleen Susan Peterson (November 14, 1950 – October 9, 1996) was a Canadian country and folk singer, who performed both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Quartette. Career Peterson began performing in coffeehouses in Ottawa in 1966 ...

(1950–1996), country and folk singer *

Richard Birdsall Rogers Richard Birdsall Rogers (15 January 1857 – 2 October 1927) was a Canadian civil engineer, civil and mechanical engineer whose most significant achievement was the design of the Peterborough Lift Lock, a boat lift at Peterborough, Ontario, Ca ...

(1857–1927), engineer known for the

Peterborough Lift Lock The Peterborough Lift Lock is a boat lift located on the Trent Canal in the city of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, and is Lock 21 on the Trent-Severn Waterway. For many years, the lock's dual lifts were the highest hydraulic boat lifts in t ...

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Peterborough, Ontario Carpenter Gothic architecture in Canada Cemeteries in Ontario 1850 establishments in Canada West