Funeral ofJohn A. Macdonald, Cataraqui CemeteryGrave of John Alexander Macdonald
Cataraqui Cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery located inKingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1850, it predatesCanadian Confederation, and continues as an active burial ground.[1] The cemetery is 91 acres in a rural setting with rolling wooded terrain, ponds and watercourses.[2] More than 46,000 individuals are interred within the grounds, and it is the final resting place of many prominent Canadians, including the burial site of Canada's firstprime minister,John A. Macdonald.[3] The Macdonald family gravesite, and the cemetery itself, are both designated asNational Historic Sites of Canada.[4][5][6]
The cemetery charter was created during a special act of theLegislative Assembly of the Province of Canada on August 10, 1850.[7] The Cataraqui Cemetery was incorporated as a not-for-profit, non-denominational, and public resting place.[8]Alexander Campbell served as the first president.[7] Architect Frederick Cornell designed the cemetery landscape.[5] Interments increased quickly when the City of Kingston passed a by-law in 1864, preventing burials within the city limits.[8] The gravesite of John A. Macdonald and family plot were recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada on May 19, 1938.[6] Cataraqui Cemetery as a whole was recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada on July 19, 2011.[5]
Cataraqui Cemetery is the final resting place for many notable persons including politicians, businessmen, humanitarians, and authors.[9] The cemetery contains the war graves of 61 service personnel fromWorld War I, and 84 fromWorld War II.[10]Queen's University owns a section that is reserved for interring the remains of those who dedicate their bodies to education and research.[11]
Jennifer McKendry (1995).Weep not for me : A photographic essay and history of Cataraqui Cemetery Kingston, Ontario
John H. Grenville (2000).An illustrated guide to monuments, memorials & markers in the Kingston area Kingston Historical Society Plaque Committee, Kingston, Ontario, Kingston Historical Society
Jennifer McKendry (2003).Into the silent land : historic cemeteries & graveyards in Ontario, Kingston, Ont.,ISBN978-0969718758