York Cemetery is a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

located in the

North York North York is a former township and city and is now one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the northern area of Toronto, centred around Yonge Street, north of Ontario Highway 401. It is bounded by ...

area of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada.

History

The site of York Cemetery was originally a property farmed by Joseph Shepard, who bought the land in 1805. The brick farm house on the property was constructed in 1837 by Joseph's son, Michael. Prior to the 1940s, the land was also used as the short-lived

Willowdale Airfield Willowdale Airfield was located in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada near Finch Avenue and Senlac in the Willowdale neighbourhood. Like many of the small aerodromes in Toronto, it disappeared before World War II. The airfield was built on far ...

. In 1916, the Toronto General Burying Grounds (now the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries) bought the property but didn't start to convert the 172 acres (70 ha) for cemetery use until 1946, two years before the cemetery officially opened in 1948. The cemetery once fronted on

Yonge Street Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...

, but in 1966, eighteen and a half acres were sold to the city of

(now part of Toronto). The cemetery has continued to develop, with the addition of a chapel and reception centre, and also the newly built "garden of remembrance".

Notable interments

Graves of Tim Horton and Lori Horton in York Cemetery in Toronto

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia grave photo by Djuradj Vujcic

Arnold Chan Arnold Chan (June 10, 1967 – September 14, 2017) was a Canadian lawyer and politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district (Canada), riding of Scarborough—Agincourt (federal electoral district), Scarborough—Agincourt in the ...

(1967–2017), Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt 2014–2017 and Deputy Government House Leader *

Barbara Frum Barbara Frum (née Rosberg; September 8, 1937 – March 26, 1992), OC was an American-born Canadian radio and television journalist, acclaimed for her interviews for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Personal life Barbara Frum was born ...

(1937–1992), Canadian television news anchor and journalist (CBC) *

Nick Harbaruk Mikołaj Nicholas "Nick" Harbaruk (August 16, 1943March 10, 2011) was a professional ice hockey player. Harbaruk played 364 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and 181 in the World Hockey Association (WHA). Harbaruk played for the Pittsburg ...

(1943–2011), Polish-born Canadian WHA and NHL hockey player * Murray Henderson (1921–2013), hockey player *

Tim Horton Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton (January 12, 1930 – February 21, 1974) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent the majority of his career playing for the Toronto Maple ...

(1930–1974), former

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

player and co-founder of

Tim Hortons Tim Hortons Inc., known colloquially as Tim's, Timmies, or Timmy's, is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain with headquarters in Toronto; it serves coffee, Doughnut, donuts, sandwiches, Breakfast sandwich, breakfast egg mu ...

* Bob Jarvis (1935–2017), Canadian lawyer and politician *

Zoran Kosanović Zoran Kosanović ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран Косановић; January 16, 1956 – February 4, 1998) was a Serbian Canadian table tennis player. Career Career in Yugoslavia Kosanović represented Yugoslavia in all five world championships from 1973 ...

(1956–1998), Serbian-Canadian table tennis player * Cynthia Lai (1954–2022), Politician, represented Ward 23 Scarborough North on the

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The Toronto City Council 2022–2026, current term began on Nove ...

* Her Imperial Highness

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia (; – 24 November 1960) was the youngest child of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and younger sister of Emperor Nicholas II. Olga was raised at the Gatchina Palace outside Saint Petersburg. Olga's ...

(1882–1960), along with her husband Captain

Nikolai Kulikovsky Nikolai Alexandrovich Kulikovsky (5 November 1881 – 11 August 1958) was the second husband of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, the sister of Tsar Nicholas II and daughter of Tsar Alexander III. He was born into a military landowning ...

(1881–1958) *

Jesse Nilsson Jesse Allan Nilsson (December 9, 1977 – April 25, 2003) was a Canadian actor who starred in several television programmes, one of his notable and last parts being Gabriel Patterson on '' Adventure Inc.'' Career Nilsson was active in drama and ...

(1977–2003), Canadian television actor *

Henry Howey Robson Henry Howey Robson VC (18 February 1894 – 4 March 1964) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Robs ...

(1897–1964), British-born recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

Percy Saltzman Percy Philip Saltzman, (March 15, 1915 – January 15, 2007) was a meteorologist and television personality best remembered for being the first weatherman in English-speaking Canadian television history. As a pioneer in weather forecasting ...

(1915–2007), Canadian meteorologist, first weatherman on Canadian television *

Bruce Smith Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 19 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Vir ...

(1949–2013), professional football player

References

External links

York Cemetery
* {{Find a Grave cemetery
Friends of York Cemetery and Burnett Park
Cemeteries in Toronto North York 1948 establishments in Ontario

History

Notable interments

See also

References

External links