Mount Pleasant Cemetery, National historic cemetery in Toronto, Canada
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a historic burial ground in Toronto, Canada, that spreads across rolling terrain with paths, fountains, sculptures, and tree collections. The site combines memorial areas with open lawns and shaded sections under mature trees, giving the place a parklike appearance.
The cemetery opened in 1876 when earlier burial sites were limited to Anglican and Roman Catholic members and the city required additional space. The development followed the rural cemetery movement concept, which connected green spaces with burials.
The name comes from the Mount Pleasant estate that once occupied the land and gave the grounds their identity. Visitors notice the quiet parkland where walkers and joggers follow the maintained paths while families use the open spaces for picnics.
Visitors can explore the extensive paths on foot or by bicycle and should wear sturdy footwear as some sections are uneven. Orientation relies on maps and signage posted at multiple points throughout the grounds.
More than 168,000 graves lie scattered across the grounds, including those of Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin, and William Lyon Mackenzie King, a former Prime Minister. The site also holds a collection of indigenous trees from northeastern North America that grow along the paths.
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