Cataraqui Cemetery - Definition

The Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario is the city's largest, and holds the distinction of being the burial site of Canada's first prime minister.

Established at the beginning of the nineteenth century as a village burial ground, the Charter of the Cataraqui Cemetery Company was handed down on 10 August , 1850, by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.

The cemetery was developed in a rural garden theme, after the pattern of Mount Auburn in Boston and Mount Hope in Rochester, New York. With winding roadways through rolling terrain, ponds and watercourses throughout the 100 acres (400,000 m²) of ground, it is truly a beautiful resting place.

The modern Sir John A. Macdonald Chapel, located beside the office, features a dramatic stained glass window, commissioned in 1891 in memory of the man. Installed in a tiny church at Redan, north of Brockville, it was donated to the cemetery in 1980 when the Chapel was built.

An abridged list of occupants includes:

• Sir John A. Macdonald, the Father of Confederation
• Thomas Kirkpatrick, First Mayor of the Town of Kingston
• John Counter, First Mayor of the City of Kingston
• Sir Alexander Campbell, a Father of Confederation and a former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

See also

• List of other famous cemeteries