Opened in 1852, Mount Royal Cemetery is a terraced cemetery on the north slope of

Mount Royal Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the ...

in the borough of Outremont in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

, Canada.

Temple Emanu-El Cemetery A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temple ...

, a

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...

burial ground, is within the Mount Royal grounds. The burial ground shares the mountain with the much larger adjacent

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

cemetery, Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery, and the Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery, an

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

cemetery. Mount Royal Cemetery is bordered on the southeast by

Mount Royal Park Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the h ...

, on the west by Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, and on the north by Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery. Although the cemetery is non-denominational today, it continues to be governed by its original charter, with a board of trustees representing the founding

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

denominations. The cemetery is a private

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. Burial rights have always been offered in perpetuity, with the commitment that no graves would ever be reused or abandoned. The founding charter stipulates that all profits should be entirely devoted to the embellishment and improvement of the property. Mount Royal Cemetery is still in operation, and even the old portion of the cemetery has some burial sites available.

Design

Cimetière Mont-Royal - Cimetière de guerre 03

Crematory

The first crematory in Canada was built by Sir Andrew Taylor in 1901 on the eastern side of the Mount Royal Cemetery property with funds donated by Sir William Christopher Macdonald, a well-known tobacco tycoon and great philanthropist. This building is the oldest of its kind in the country and it remained the only crematorium in

until 1975. The first cremation took place on April 18, 1902. Built with Montreal limestone, the original building had a

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

, a room for the cremation chambers, a large winter storage vault and a conservatory filled with exotic plants. In the 1950s, for maintenance reasons, the conservatory was demolished but the original chapel, on the left of the building, is still intact with a beautiful hand made mosaic floor.

War Graves section

The cemetery contains 459

war graves War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

of Commonwealth service personnel, 276 from World War I and 183 from World War II, most of which form two War Plots in Section G. A Cross of Sacrifice stands on the boundary with Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery. Military graves at Mount Royal did not take significance until World War I, when Canada lost over 60 000 soldiers. After this event, the population of the city started looking toward public memory more seriously, and gave an entire section to war veterans and fallen soldiers.Young, Brian with photographs by Geoffrey James. Respectable Burial: Montreal’s Mount Royal Cemetery. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2003.

Notable interments

A few of the prominent people interred in the cemetery are: *

Sir John Abbott Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott (March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Canada from 1891 to 1892. He held office as the leader of the Conservative Party. Abbo ...

(1821–1893), prime minister of Canada *

Sir Hugh Allan Sir Hugh Allan (September 29, 1810 – December 9, 1882) was a Scottish-Canadian shipping magnate, financier and capitalist. By the time of his death, the Allan Shipping Line had become the largest privately owned shipping empire in the wor ...

(1810–1882), financier and shipping magnate * Sir Montagu Allan (1860–1951), businessman,

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...

member * Richard Bladworth Angus (1831–1922), banker * Henry Birks (1840–1928), businessman * William Thomas Benson (1824–1885), businessman, politician * Frank Calder (1877–1943),

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

executive * William Cecil Christmas (1879–1941), businessman,

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada ...

* William Clark-Kennedy (1879–1961), Scots-born

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

recipient * Sir Arthur Currie (1875–1933), First World War military commander, educator * Sir Mortimer Barnett Davis (1866–1928), businessman and philanthropist *

Norman Dawe Robert Norman Dawe (October 18, 1898January 4, 1948) was a Canadian sports executive. He originated as an ice hockey referee for minor ice hockey games in Verdun, Quebec, before becoming involved in the administrative aspect of sports. He was ...

(1898–1948), Canadian sports executive *

J. William Dawson Sir John William Dawson (1820–1899) was a Canadian geologist and university administrator. Life and work John William Dawson was born on 13 October 1820 in Pictou, Nova Scotia, where he attended and graduated from Pictou Academy. Of Scotti ...

(1820–1899), scientist, educator * George Mercer Dawson (1849–1901), scientist *

William Dow William Dow (March 27, 1800 – December 7, 1868) was a Scottish-born brewer and financier of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Born at Muthill, Perthshire, he was the eldest son of Dr William Dow (1765-1844), Brewmaster, and Anne Mason. Since 1652, his ...

(1800–1868), brewer and businessman * Sir George Alexander Drummond (1829–1910), entrepreneur *

William Henry Drummond William Henry Drummond (April 13, 1854 – April 6, 1907) was an Irish-born Canadian poet whose humorous dialect poems made him "one of the most popular authors in the English-speaking world," and "one of the most widely-read and loved poets" ...

(1854–1907), Irish-Canadian poet, doctor * Edith Maude Eaton (1865–1914), author, a.k.a. "Sui Sin Far" * Phil Edwards (1907–1971), athlete, physician * Henry Ekers (1855–1937), Mayor of Montreal 1906–1908. * Charles Edward Frosst (1867–1948), pharmaceuticals manufacturer * Henry Fry (1826–1896), ship-broker, ship owner and commission merchant based in Quebec City * Sir Alexander Galt (1817–1893), businessman, statesman,

Father of Confederation The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battl ...

(1777–1834), businessman, statesman *

Samuel Gerrard Samuel Gerrard (1767 – March 24, 1857) was a Canadian fur trader, businessman, militia officer, justice of the peace, politician, and seigneur. He was the second president of the Bank of Montreal. From 1838 to 1841, he was a member of the Sp ...

(1767–1857), businessman * Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan (1848–1938), newspaper publisher *

Frank Greenleaf Frank Chapin Greenleaf (May 22, 1877January 1, 1953) was a Canadian sports administrator. He served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association, and was an executive in the Quebec branch of ...

(1877–1953), Canadian sports administrator * Joseph Guibord, (1809–1869), printer, temporarily interred here six years pending

litigation - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil act ...

about his disputed burial in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in 1875 * Charles Melville Hays (1856–1912), Grand Trunk Railway executive and ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

'' victim * Charles Heavysege (1816–1876), author, poet * Sir Herbert Holt (1856–1941), financier * C. D. Howe (1886–1960), American-born politician and engineer Leonowens 001

Anna Leonowens Anna Harriette Leonowens (born Ann Hariett Emma Edwards; 5 November 1831 – 19 January 1915) was an Anglo-Indian or Indian-born British travel writer, educator, and social activist. She became well known with the publication of her memoirs, b ...

(1834–1915), governess (Anna of '' Anna and the King of Siam''), founder of Nova Scotia College of Art and Design * Hannah Lyman (1816-1871), educator, biographer * Robert Mackay (1840–1916), businessman, statesman * Sir William C. Macdonald (1831–1917), tobacco manufacturer, philanthropist * John Wilson McConnell (1877–1963), publisher, philanthropist * David Ross McCord (1844–1930), lawyer, philanthropic founder of the McCord Museum of Canadian History * Air Vice Marshall F.S. McGill (1894–1980), professional athlete, businessman, RCAF officer *

John Jones McGill John Jones "J. J." McGill (June 22, 1860 – November 20, 1942) was an industrialist and philanthropist from Montreal, Quebec, and a prominent member of the English Speaking Community of Montreal. He was a major shareholder in, and later manage ...

(1860–1942), industrialist, philanthropist * Peter McGill (1789–1860), businessman, municipal politician * Duncan McIntyre (1834–1894), businessman *

Earle McLaughlin William Earle McLaughlin, OC (1915 – October 30, 1991) was a Canadian banker. Born in Oshawa, Ontario, to parents Frank McLaughlin and Frankie L. Houlden. Earle McLaughlin graduated with the gold medal in commerce from Queen's University and ...

, (1915-1991) cresident & chairman,

Royal Bank of Canada Royal Bank of Canada (RBC; french: Banque royale du Canada) is a Canadian multinational financial services company and the largest bank in Canada by market capitalization. The bank serves over 17 million clients and has more than 89,000 ...

* Charles Meredith (1854–1928), president of the Montreal Stock Exchange * Frederick Edmund Meredith (1862–1941), chancellor of Bishop's University * Sir Vincent Meredith (1850–1929), 1st Baronet of Montreal, president of the

Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...

* William Campbell James Meredith (1904–1960), Dean of Law, McGill University * Shadrach Minkins (c. 1815–1875), American-born fugitive slave rescued from federal custody in Boston in 1851 * Hartland Molson (1907–2002), brewing magnate, World War II fighter pilot, statesman * John Molson (1763–1836), brewing tycoon Colonel W. J. B. MacLeod Moore (Kildare (Ireland) Jan 14, 1810, died Prescott(Ont) on September 10, 1890. Founder of Masonic Knights Templar in Canada and Societas Roscruciana in Anglia (Canada) * Howie Morenz (1902–1937), Hall of Fame ice hockey player *

Henry Morgan Sir Henry Morgan ( cy, Harri Morgan; – 25 August 1688) was a privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming we ...

(1819–1893), opened first department store in Canada *

Arthur Deane Nesbitt Arthur Deane Nesbitt OBE, DFC, CdeG (16 November 1910 – 22 February 1978) was a Canadian businessman and a decorated pilot and Wing Commander in World War II. Early life Nesbitt was born in Westmount, Quebec, the son of the very succes ...

(1910–1978), decorated soldier of World War II, stockbroker * Arthur J. Nesbitt (1880–1954), cofounder of Nesbitt Thomson & Co. and Power Corporation of Canada * J. Aird Nesbitt (1907–1985), owner/operator of

Ogilvy's Charles Ogilvy Limited, or Ogilvy's, was a department store in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1887. For much of the 20th century, Ogilvy's was one of Ottawa's higher-end department stores. Charles Ogilvy (1861-1950) was born in Edinb ...

department store in Montreal * William Notman (1826–1891), photographer and businessman *

Alexander Walker Ogilvie Alexander Walker Ogilvie (May 7, 1829 – March 31, 1902) was a Canadian politician and businessman. He and his brothers, William and John, are remembered for their pioneering work in the Canadian milling trade with their company, A. W. Ogilv ...

(1829–1902), miller, statesman *

William Watson Ogilvie Captain William Watson Ogilvie (15 February 1835 – 12 January 1900), commanded a division of the Royal Montreal Cavalry during the Fenian Raids. He and his two brothers, Alexander and John, are remembered for their pioneering work in the ...

(1835–1900) miller * Frank L. Packard (1877–1942), mystery writer * John Redpath (1796–1869), contractor, built the first sugar refinery in Canada * Robert Wilson Reford (1867–1951), shipping executive, artist, photographer * Mordecai Richler (1931–2001), author * Anne Savage (1896–1971), painter and art teacher * F. R. Scott (1899–1985), scholar * Francis Scrimger (1880–1937), physician,

recipient * Sir George Simpson (c1786–1860),

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

administrator, explorer, author * Denis Stairs (1889–1980), chairman, Montreal Engineering Co. * George Washington Stephens (1832–1904), businessman, lawyer, politician, philanthropist * David Thompson (1770–1857), mapmaker, astronomer and explorer * David Torrance (1805–1876), merchant, banker *

John Torrance John Torrance (June 8, 1786 – January 20, 1870) was a merchant and entrepreneur of Montreal, Lower Canada. He entered the railroad industry in the 1830s and ran steamboats on the St. Lawrence River. He was also a director of the Bank of Montre ...

(1786–1870), merchant, shipper * Jocelyn Gordon Whitehead (1895–1954), delivered the fatal sucker punch to magician

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American Escapology, escape artist, Magic (illusion), magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his Escapology, escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to ...

* Thomas Workman (1813–1889), businessman, politician, philanthropist * William Workman (1807–1878), businessman and municipal politician *

John Francis Young John Francis Young (14 January 1893 – 7 November 1929) was a Canadian soldier who served in the First World War. Young was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Brit ...

(1893–1929), Victoria Cross recipient * Walter P. Zeller (1890–1957), founder of Zellers

References

External links