Our Stories

Snow‑covered cemetery scene featuring the McCain family marker, a low black granite headstone set against a wooded hillside. A green memorial wreath with a red bow rests in front of the stone, with trees and snow‑covered ground surrounding the grave in winter.

William Mellis Christie: Canada’s Cookie King

1829–1899 Mount Pleasant Cemetery Plot G Lot 9 Born in Huntly, Scotland, William Mellis Christie began his career as a baker’s apprentice before
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Illustrated portrait of J. J. Kelso wearing a suit jacket, high‑collared shirt, and tie, shown from the chest up in a newspaper‑style line drawing with fine cross‑hatching

John Joseph Kelso: Champion for Children and Animals

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Norman Ernest Brickell: A Lifetime of Service in Law Enforcement

grave peeking out of the ground

Andrew Porteous: The First Burial at Toronto Necropolis

George Charles Heintzman

George Charles Heintzman: The Piano Legacy Builder

Person working on a laptop at a table with a drink can beside them.

Ian Young: A Quiet Steward of the Land

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Mary Carfrae: First Burial at Potter’s Field

Black‑and‑white photograph of Sing Hoo Yuen working on a large fish sculpture mounted on a pedestal, holding carving tools in both hands while shaping the fins and body, wearing a work coat in a studio setting.

Sing Hoo Yuen: A Sculptor Who Bridged Cultures

semi detached house

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna: The Last Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia

Black‑and‑white studio portrait of John Rutsey with long hair, wearing a patterned jacket over a light‑coloured shirt, posed against a dark background.

John Rutsey: The Beat that Started it All

A black‑and‑white photograph of a rural roadside scene featuring a large sign for “Beechwood Cemetery” mounted on wooden posts. The sign is positioned to the left side of the image, next to a simple wire-and-post fence. A small tree and overgrown bushes stand nearby, partially obscuring the fence line. Beyond the sign and vegetation, an open field extends into the distance under a clear sky.

Farmer Rocco: From Beechwood Farm to Cemetery Grounds

Interior view of a Jack Fraser department store showing long display tables stacked with folded clothing, sales signs hanging above the aisles, and staff standing behind counters under bright ceiling lights.

Jack Fraser: A Toronto Retail Icon

Black‑and‑white photograph of a military aircraft flying above patchwork farmland and clouds. The twin‑engine plane bears Royal Air Force roundels on its wings and fuselage and is shown in flight from a side angle, with clouds stretching across the horizon below.

Robert “Bob” Billo McIntyre: Innovator in Canadian Aviation

really old skates

Percy Johnston: A Life on Ice

Color photograph of a large group posed together at an event, dressed in zombie-style makeup and tattered, dirt-stained clothing. Several people wear ripped dresses, suits, and workwear with theatrical wounds and distressed details. One person holds a prop axe, while another grips a long stick. The group stands closely packed in front of an event backdrop and metal truss structure, creating a chaotic, playful scene that evokes a horror-film or zombie-themed gathering.

George A. Romero: The Godfather of the Dead

Black‑and‑white photograph of a city street intersection in 1957, showing brick commercial buildings, overhead streetcar wires, parked cars, and storefront signage. An “Imperial Esso Dealer” sign stands on the sidewalk, with utility poles, a fire hydrant, and early automobiles visible along Parliament Street in Toronto.

Hugh Garner: Toronto’s Chronicler of Cabbagetown

boulder with trees and shrubs

The Children’s Garden: A Place of Memory and Peace 

A red poppy placed on a stone, representing remembrance of soldiers who died in the First World War.

Private Bertie Nakogee: Honouring a Forgotten Soldier

a hotel in the 1900s

The Ward Sisters: A Tragedy on Toronto Bay

Poet Gwendolyn MacEwen

Gwendolyn Margaret MacEwen: A Voice of Magic and Mystery

a butterfly in the palm of a hand

Annual Butterfly Release: A Celebration of Life