Pine Hills Cemetery
Section S Lots 815 & 824
In 1858, a Presbyterian congregation established Chalmers York Town Line Church on the northeast corner of St. Clair Avenue and Pharmacy Road in Scarborough Township. A simple plank church was built, and alongside it, a small cemetery began serving the community. Historical records show burials as early as 1858, marking this site as one of Scarborough’s earliest resting places.
By 1892, the congregation merged with York Station Church in East Toronto, adopting the name Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. A new church was built at Swanwick and Benlamond Avenues in 1893, and the original St. Clair building was demolished. The cemetery remained, standing alone as a quiet memorial to Scarborough’s pioneers.
Over 70 interments took place between 1861 and 1941. In 1950, despite objections from descendants, the trustees decided to sell the property. On February 15, 1951, the cemetery at the Chalmers York Town Line Church was officially closed under Ontario Regulation 33/51. In May 1952, excavation began. Human remains, along with remnants of caskets and original tombstones, were placed in wooden crates and moved to Pine Hills Cemetery, where we continue our commitment to serve our community in perpetuity. A single monument now marks the site of reinterment.
The original cemetery land was sold to Imperial Oil, which built an Esso station on the site. Later, the station was demolished and the land remained vacant for decades due to heritage and archaeological concerns. Today, the story of Chalmers York Town Line Church lives on through historical records and the memorial at Pine Hills Cemetery.
Sources:
• Mount Pleasant Group – Chalmers York Town Line Church Story Archive
• LocalWiki – Chalmers Presbyterian Cemetery
• Military Bruce – Lost Pioneer Cemeteries: Chalmers Presbyterian Cemetery
