In commemoration of its 200th anniversary in 2026, the Mount Pleasant Group (MPG) presents its “200 Stories Project.”
Every deceased person brought into our care is valued and important to us. Every person’s life certainly has a story. In a manner fitting for our 200th anniversary, we’ve compiled these 200 stories from those of the more than 700,000 decedents interred across the 10 cemeteries of MPG today. The stories feature an eclectic mix of people who contributed, in ways both small and large, to the development of Toronto and Canada over the past two centuries. They include inspiring stories of visionaries, activists, veterans, innovators, educators, business leaders, artists, icons, and everyday heroes, as well as more than a few individuals as notorious as they are noteworthy because of the significant harm they caused to people and entire communities. Many represent Toronto at its best but some remind us of humanity at its bleakest. It is also safe to say that more than a few stories here fall somewhere in the complicated middle, and we have attempted to try and acknowledge those complexities.
Overall, our larger purpose is to show how intertwined the Mount Pleasant Group’s cemeteries are with the political, social, economic and military history – good, bad and complicated - of Toronto and of Canada. When taken together, we believe these stories offer a compelling snapshot of a city and a country during two centuries of rapid growth and change. All 200 are publicly accessible here at mpg200.ca.
About Our Story Curation Process
MPG has made every effort to gather and tell these stories accurately, fairly and honestly. The stories you read here have been identified, curated, written and edited with input and inspiration from a number of different sources. They include both company and public archives, monographs, encyclopedias and various online platforms. Historians and researchers were engaged to recommend, provide and/or review stories, and both current and former MPG staff members contributed ideas and feedback at all stages of project development. AI technologies were used in some instances to source story origins and background information, recommend wording and to ensure consistency. Sources and references are listed throughout the site.
Telling the Truth of History Matters – However Complicated or Uncomfortable
The important and detailed work of research, writing and editing of stories aside, marking milestone anniversaries for large and publicly accessible organizations is inherently complicated.
In presenting these stories, MPG acknowledges that history(ies) are often told from different – and sometimes conflicting – vantage points, perspectives and narratives. Sometimes what is told – or allowed to be told – depends on the storyteller and the power and influence they may hold in society. There are also biases to consider in the telling of any history. As a result, truth and fact can sometimes be hidden or obscured, wholly or in part.
There is no way to view and understand the past and present of the Greater Toronto Area, nor the country of Canada, without acknowledging the way various privileges have operated to shape our society since even before the Town of York came into being. For many, the injustices of racism, classism, sexism, misogyny, ableism, heterosexism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of systemic exclusion or oppression have been the silent backdrop against which they have had to struggle to achieve justice and equality for themselves and their communities. Thankfully, the legal and social landscape of Toronto today is far more equitable than it was during most of the past two centuries. Still, the systemic barriers to achievement that some have had to overcome and others have not should be acknowledged when looking at the 200 stories that MPG has gathered here.
Every one of these stories has contributed to the evolution of the city, province, country and world that we know today. Whether idealized or imperfect, we believe that capturing diverse voices from our collective past is important as together we seek to chart a brighter future.
Have concerns? We’re here to listen.
If you feel strongly that a story included on this site omits or misrepresents the truth as you understand it, MPG welcomes your comments at 200Stories@mountpleasantgroup.com. While MPG cannot guarantee it will alter a story based on every comment received, it will certainly review all comments carefully and make amendments where it deems necessary in order to ensure accuracy.