2024 is coming to a close, and I can’t help but feel incredibly thankful for all the opportunities, experiences, and connections this year has brought. From cemetery explorations to unexpected shoutouts, 2024 has been a year of gratitude, growth, and gravestone recipes!
So today on the blog, I want to reflect on some highlights that have made this year so memorable. From shoutouts and collaborations, here’s a look back at why I consider 2024 an exciting year.
Cemetery Adventures
This year, I was able to visit 117 new cemeteries, and revisited 9, bringing my total for this year to 126. Every cemetery visit is always an adventure, uncovering hidden stories and beautiful gravestones. One cemetery visit that stands out this year, was visiting the gravesite of Elizabeth Barnes, the Witch of Plum Hollow. Exploring the folklore and history surrounding this incredible woman was eye-opening. These experiences continue to remind me of the powerful connection between memory and place.
One of my favorite projects this year was contributing a guest post to The Haunted Walk’s blog, titled Beyond the Headstones: 5 Surprising Secrets to Discover in Cemeteries. Writing this post gave me the chance to share some of the hidden stories and unexpected gems you can uncover in these places of rest.
Another exciting milestone was being interviewed for American Cemetery and Cremation Magazine. Being featured in their June issue, and sharing my passion for cemeteries and the stories they hold was such a rewarding experience.
Trying out gravestone recipes and sharing these experiences has been an ongoing passion project for me, and this year, it gained attention far beyond what I could imagine.
Cemetery Recipes: O’Neal’s Peach Cobbler
My gravestone recipe posts were referenced in the Bust article Take it to the Grave: Rosie Grant Went Viral for Recreating Gravetsone Recipes. Although the article features fellow taphophile Rosie Grant’s amazing work, it also linked to my Peach Cobbler and Chicken Soup recipe posts, connecting people to my blog. Seeing my blog posts highlighted as part of a broader cultural conversation about food, memory, and legacy feels a bit surreal.
Other press highlights included Funeral Basics linking to my blog post about Connie’s Date & Nut Bread, and the New York Post directing readers to the cemetery recipes on my website. These moments are heartwarming reminders of how food can connect us to the past in meaningful ways.
The international attention has been just as exciting! An Italian article explored the growing trend of gravestone recipes and referenced my work, while the Czech publication Neviditelny Pes also referenced my work and highlighted the charm of these recipes carved in stone.
Maybe the most thrilling moment for me though, was receiving a shoutout from Rhett and Link on their Good Mythical Morning episode, We Try Cemetery Food. Watching them discuss my work was an unforgettable moment that brought a whole new audience to my blog, and I am very grateful for their support.
Collaborations
This year, I loved working with my friends over at the Bereavement Authority of Ontario. I had the pleasure of contributing some freelance photography to the August issue of Beyond magazine. Their publication is filled with educational and thought-provoking content and seeing my work featured in their layout is a great milestone.
I am truly appreciative for all this recognition. None of which would be possible without the incredible community of readers, collaborators, and supporters who’ve been with me on this journey. Whether you have followed along for the recipes, the cemetery exploring, or the stone stories, thank you for being a part of this adventure.
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m excited to continue exploring, writing, and sharing these unique experiences. Here’s to another year of meaningful connections and unexpected discoveries!
How was your 2024? I’d love to hear about your highlights and plans for the coming year in the comments.
As winter settles in, it’s hard to ignore the changing of the seasons. The chilly air, shorter days, and the snow-covered gravestones mark the end of field season for me. I have always seen snow-covered cemeteries as just too risky to explore—both for me and the gravestones.
While the cold usually keeps me indoors for the next couple of months, it brings something special to the cemeteries I love so much. There is a stillness in the air, and cemeteries in winter do offer something unique that cemeteries in the warmer months just don’t have.
Winter is often seen as a time for rest and renewal. Nature takes a break during these colder months, and cemeteries seem to do the same. The chill in the air makes everything feel still.
For me, the winter season is a time to focus on rest and recharging, while also refocusing on photo editing and research. Nothing is more relaxing to me than being curled up on the couch with a good book. But winter is also a time for reflection on life’s cycles. The season reminds us that life, like death, is all part of the same cycle. Nature’s rhythms, whether still still or full of growth are always changing, just like us.
I’ll be honest, winter is not my favorite season, and I don’t have a lot of experience visiting cemeteries in the snow. The bitter cold and early darkness does not appeal to me. But I will admit that cemeteries in winter have an almost haunting beauty that I can’t ignore.
The bare trees against a pale sky, and the contrast between the dark gravestones against white snow, create a mood that’s both peaceful and a bit mysterious. It’s the kind of scene that makes you stop for a moment.
Even though this isn’t the time I usually seek out cemeteries, I made an effort this weekend to stop in to one, to appreciate the unique atmosphere it creates.
One interesting thing I found about cemeteries in the winter is the light. With the sun being lower in the sky, the light creates long and dramatic shadows, adding texture and depth to the landscape. I find the gravestones just look different in the winter light.
The unique angles of the light during winter do make it a great time to play around with shadows and textures. For anyone interested in photography, winter cemeteries offer a chance to capture the landscape in a new way.
As I think about how winter enhances the beauty of cemeteries, I realize that the symbolism of the season offers us an important reminder of the ongoing cycle of life. Winter is a time of rest and reflection, but it’s also a time to prepare for what comes next.
So will you be visiting any cemeteries this winter? Whether you’re stopping by to honor a loved one or just take in the beauty of the season, cemeteries in the winter do have a lot to offer.
In honor of Remembrance Day this year, Monday, November 11th, I want to take a moment to reflect on the significance of this solemn occasion and the powerful symbol of sacrifice that is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
This day, which marks the end of hostilities during the First World War and honors all who have served in times of conflict, holds deep meaning for Canadians. While Remembrance Day has been observed since 1919, its evolution over the years—from its origins as Armistice Day to the shift in date and name in 1931—demonstrates its lasting importance in our collective memory.1 In this week’s post, I want to delve into the history behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a tribute that today stands as a symbol of the many soldiers who gave their lives without recognition.
The tomb of the unknown soldier lies in front of the National War Memorial at Parliament Hill. The large monument, a cenotaph, was unveiled in 1939 to commemorate the Canadian response to the First World War. It has grown to symbolize the sacrifice of all Canadians who have served in times of war.2
The Royal Canadian Legion, with help from Veteran’s Affairs Canada, began work to bring the Unknown Soldier home in the spring of 1998.3 As a Millenium project, this undertaking was not an easy task and many veterans were anxious to see this tomb built, as a reminder for new generations of the cause and consequences of war.3,4
Exhaustive work was completed to choose the remains that would be repatriated. The remains were selected from among 6,846 unknown soldiers of the First World War.5 The set of remains that now lie at rest in the sarcophagus at the base of the war memorial comes from Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, in Souchez, France.4
The Unknown Soldier’s remains were exhumed on May 25, 2000, by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The remains were then repatriated to Canada in a Canadian Forces aircraft, where they would lay in state for three days in the Hall of Honor in the Centre Block of Parliament.5 On May 28, 2000, the remains were laid to rest in a sarcophagus made of granite, during an interment ceremony. Soil from each Canadian province and territory was placed on the casket. They also included some soil from France.6
The inscription on the tomb reads “The Unknown Soldier / Le Soldat inconnu”. There is also a brass plaque embedded in the ground in front of the tomb which reads: “Here lie the remains / of Canada’s Unknown Soldier. / Please treat this grave / with respect.”
The tombstone marking the first resting place of our unknown soldier, in France, was also brought to Canada and now hangs in the Memorial Hall of the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
The inscription reads: “A Soldier / of the Great War / A Canadian Regiment / Known Unto God”
Original gravestone of the Unknown Soldier, Canadian War Museum. Photo by Craig Baird, Canadian History Ehx https://canadaehx.com/ Photo used with permission.
The Memorial Hall of the Canadian War Museum has a unique design feature, where every year on November 11th, at 11 a.m. the sun filters through a window in the hall, directly illuminating the headstone.7
A new gravestone was placed to mark the original burial site, now empty, in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery. The stone, similar in appearance to the original gravestone, is engraved with a maple leaf and the following epitaph, “The Former Grave Of An / Unknown Canadian Soldier / Of The First World War. / His Remains Were Removed / On 25 May 2000 And Now / Lie Interred At The / National War Memorial / In Ottawa Canada.”4
The Changing of the Guard
This summer, while I was visiting family in Ottawa, I had the opportunity to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and witness the changing of the guard.
Since 2007, the Canadian Armed Forces have posted sentries to stand guard at the tomb, with a rotation of personnel from the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Canadian Ranger units from across the country.8 During the summer months, the changing of the guard ceremony occurs every hour, on the hour, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The ceremony is a somber occasion that reflects respect for Canada’s fallen soldiers. As the sentries execute their precise and disciplined movements, the atmosphere was heavy with reverence. The ceremony serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made in the name of freedom and those who gave their lives in service.
While visiting the tomb, I was struck by the weight of history and felt the significance of honoring those whose identities may be lost, but whose sacrifices will never be forgotten.
We will never know the identity of the Unknown Soldier—but that’s the point.
In war, the remains of soldiers may be badly damaged, or destroyed. Even though a great effort was made to find and identify remains, many were not found at all. Almost 20,000 Canadians who died in the First World War have no identifiable graves.4 Some could only be identified as Canadians, by uniform buttons or badges, and were buried with a simple military marker, like our unknown soldier.4
So this Remembrance Day, as we pause to honor the sacrifices of those who served, remember also the unknown soldier—the many who gave their lives, whose identities are now lost to history.
A few years ago, my fiancé and I started a new October tradition. We were engaged in October, and to celebrate we planned a cute weekend getaway at a haunted hotel. We visited a haunted pub and enjoyed the small-town charm and fall weather.
We had so much fun that we started thinking about other haunted hotels we could visit—and the tradition was born!
This year, our Haunted Holiday took us to Toronto.
We had tickets to see the iconic heavy metal band Iron Maiden at the Scotia Bank Centre at the end of October, so it made sense to make a weekend trip. I did a bit of research into haunted locations in the city and booked us a room at the Fairmount Royal York. We also made reservations for a romantic dinner at a 157-year-old historic building known today as the Keg Mansion.
The Royal York Hotel was built in 1928-1929, by the Canadian Pacific Railway as part of its coast-to-coast chain of grand hotels. The skyscraper hotel was the tallest in the British Commonwealth at that time and dramatically altered the Toronto skyline.1
Today it’s one of Toronto’s most famous landmarks.
This stately hotel has played host to many celebrities and dignitaries over the years, such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Royal family.2 With such a storied past, it’s no surprise that it might also hosts a few ghosts.
The most reported haunting is that of a gentleman who wanders the halls on the 8th floor. He is said to be wearing a purple jacket. This ghostly figure is sometimes seen accompanied by the sounds of children running up and down the halls while laughing. Those who have heard the ghostly children have peeked outside their chamber door to see an empty hallway and find silence. Some have peeked out to see the man in the purple jacket.3
My fiancé and I were eager to chat with someone about the supposed hauntings when we checked in. Unfortunately, we didn’t meet anyone who had any stories to share with us, either being recent hires or as one put it, worked only during the day when nothing spooky happens.
The hotel is immense and beautiful, so we took a bit of time to explore our surroundings while making our way up to our room on the 9th floor.
After dropping off our things and settling into our new home for the night, we had some free time before our dinner reservation. We had just enough time for a cemetery visit, some window shopping, and a drink or two at a pub.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Opened in 1876, Mount Pleasant Cemetery is considered one of Canada’s most historic cemeteries. It was designed by Henry Adolph Engelhardt and is a beautiful example of landscape design, inspired by the European and American garden cemeteries of the 19th century.4
Spanning 83 hectares in the middle of the city, the many winding paths provide picturesque views of the park-like landscape.4 Mount Pleasant features one of the finest tree collections in North America and walking and running trails that span 1 km, 3 km, and 5 km routes.5
Mount Pleasant is the final resting place of many prominent Canadians, including former Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, Nobel Prize winner Frederick Banting, founder of the Eaton’s department store Timothy Eaton, and renowned pianist Glenn Gould.6
It’s also the final resting place of many members of the prominent Massey Family. The Massey Mausoleum was built in 1891. Designed in the Romanesque style, the family crypt features a tower, a below-grade crypt, and a statue of Hope, one of the seven virtues perched on top of its roof.7 Industrialist and philanthropist Hart Massey rests within the walls of this mausoleum, as well as his wife Eliza Ann Phelps Massey, and some of their children, like Lillian Frances Massey Treble.
I was particularly interested in visiting the final resting place of Lillian, as we would be dining with her ghost later that evening.
The Massey Mausoleum is massive and was easy to spot once I was pointed in the right direction. I will admit I did need to get directions from a groundskeeper as the cemetery is quite large and easy to get lost in. Especially when you are easily distracted by gravestones, like me.
Standing in front of the immense family crypt, I was in awe of the wealth and stature of this family, which I assume is one of the reasons for building such a massive final resting place.
I peeked inside and admired the beautiful stained glass, in the small sepulchre. The shaft of light coming from the stained glass windows in the ceiling lit the inside of the tomb just enough to make out the nameplates marking the shelves within the crypt. It felt like a special privilege to be able to see inside this final resting place of such a prominent Toronto family.
After paying my respects and taking a few more photos, I made my way back to my waiting fiancé. I excitedly showed him my photos as I described everything I saw during my short walk in the cemetery.
After a short rest and an iced pumpkin spice latte, we continued on our walk down Yonge Street stopping in at a shop here and there. We eventually sat down at a nice little pub called The Quail, where we enjoyed a few drinks and chatted with the owner. Now that I think about it, we completely forgot to ask the owner if he had any ghost stories to share.
But not to worry, we would get our fill of ghost stories at supper time!
The Keg Mansion
Our dinner reservation brought us to the Keg Mansion, a former home of the Massey family. Built in 1867, this elaborate mansion housed 26 different rooms and 17 fireplaces.8 The home was purchased in 1882 by Hart Massey, a Cleveland agricultural equipment salesman, and his wife. They would make additions to the ornate mansion by adding a turret, verandah, and a greenhouse.8
After Hart Massey passed away in 1896, at the age of 72, the estate was taken over by his daughter Lillian Massey. She would name the Mansion Euclid Hall, and reside there until her death. After her passing, the house was entrusted to the University of Toronto, serving as the home for many different establishments over the years. In 1975, the building received heritage status, and in 1976 became the home of The Keg Steakhouse + Bar. Today, it’s known as the Keg Mansion.8
The Keg Mansion does not shy away from its ghostly history. When we arrived for our reservations we were quietly seated on the second floor. Of course, we asked right away if our server had had any ghostly encounters to share. She didn’t have any stories of her own to tell, but she kindly offered to bring over the “ghost book”, a collection of reported hauntings by staff and restaurant patrons.
I was happy to peruse the reported hauntings while they brought out our drinks. Some of the stories I was familiar with, like the story of Lillian Massey and her maid. Lillian passed away in the house in 1915, at the age of 61. Lillian was beloved by her staff, and her maid in particular took her death very hard. The story goes that after learning of Lillian’s death, her maid, distraught with grief brought a length of rope with her upstairs to the oval vestibule, where she fashioned a noose and hung herself.9
The vestibule is still a feature in the Mansion today, just outside the washrooms on the second floor. People have reported seeing Lillian’s spirit as well as the spirit of her maid, in various rooms throughout the house. The washrooms, in particular the women’s washroom, are thought to be one of the most haunted areas in the Mansion. Patrons have reported feeling cold spots, and even capturing ghostly images in photographs taken in a mirror above the fireplace in that washroom.
The stories I found most fascinating though were the sightings of the ghost of a young boy.
Throughout our meal, my fiancé and I couldn’t help eavesdropping on the conversations happening around us. The ghostly phenomenon happening at the Mansion is well known, and we were not the only ones asking questions about ghosts.
One server stopped by our table and told us a story about a mother and son who had come to the Mansion for supper. The little boy went to the bathroom, and on his return told his mother that there had been another little boy in the bathroom, all alone. Worried, the mother told her server who in turn told a manager. The manager went to the bathroom right away to see if the little boy needed help, but there was no one there.
We would learn later in the evening that there had been a young Massey boy, who also died in the house, who was around 10 years old. His playful ghost is also often reported.
Geoff, the Bar Manager stopped by our table after our meal and told us about his encounter with the child ghost. He had been walking with a tray of drinks past the front door area, where the large staircase is when he overheard a little girl telling her mother she wanted to play with the trains. The mother, confused, asked her daughter what she meant. In response, the little girl pointed to the empty staircase and said she wanted to play trains with the little boy. She was quite emphatic saying that he was playing with the trains and that she wanted to play too.
Except there was no one on the stairs, no little boy, and no toy trains!
Geoff assured us that even though the ghosts were very active, no one had experienced anything malicious. My fiancé and I hoped we would have an encounter of our own, but alas we didn’t experience anything. We both made it a point to visit the washrooms, and I did take a few selfies in the bathroom mirror, but I didn’t capture anything.
What we did have was a lovely evening of good wine, good food, and ghost stories.
After dinner we made our way back to the hotel to freshen up, then it was off to the Scotia Bank Centre for an evening of heavy metal. Iron Maiden put on an excellent show!
After a couple of hours of rocking out, we walked back to our hotel, stopping on the 8th floor to take a look around. It was quiet on that floor, so we returned to our own room for the night.
Although we didn’t get to experience any hauntings ourselves, we both agreed that it was a great weekend. You can’t go wrong with romance, ghost stories, and heavy metal. It was definitely a haunted holiday for the books.
There is just something magical about wandering through a cemetery bathed in the warm colors of autumn. So today on the blog, I explore how the crunch of leaves underfoot and the cool breeze tousling your hair as you walk among the headstones, creates a uniquely reflective experience.
The stunning yellows, oranges, and reds herald the changing of the seasons and mark the transition from verdant green to withered rotting leaves. The falling leaves remind us of the cycle of life and that everything dies.
Autumn begins on the fall equinox, usually on September 22 or 23. The equinox happens twice a year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring between the summer and winter solstices.1 It marks the point where the sun crosses the equator’s path and becomes positioned exactly between the Northern and Southern hemispheres.1 On the equinox, day and night are approximately the same length, but the fall equinox marks the beginning of longer nights and shorter days.1
As we lose daylight earlier, the yellow glow during the golden hour is intensified, creating a golden light that beautifully bathes the gravestones. It’s a photographer’s dream!
Gravestone symbolism draws heavily from Greek mythology, so it seems only fitting to share the Greek story of Persephone’s return, an anecdote used to explain why the seasons work the way they do.
In the story, Persephone was abducted by Hades and forced to live in the Underworld. Demeter, Persephone’s mother, searched far and wide for her daughter. Demeter threatened to make the earth a barren place until her daughter was returned to her.2
A deal was struck: because Persephone had eaten four pomegranate seeds while in the Underworld, she would return to Hades and live with him for four months out of the year.2
So when Persephone traveled to the Underworld to fulfill her four-month stay, Demeter’s sadness at being separated from her daughter was expressed by the barrenness of autumn and the winter cold.2
The month of October can be considered the peak of autumn, with the fall colors reaching their most vibrant, usually during the first couple of weeks. The beginning of October is also considered by many to be the start of the spooky season, which culminates on October 31st, Halloween.
Halloween night is said to be when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinest. This is thought to mean that it is the one night when spirits can cross over the easiest to communicate with loved ones.
The idea of a veil between life and death can sometimes be found in cemetery art.
A draped urn, for instance, is a popular Victorian-era motif, borrowed from Ancient Greece. The Ancient Greeks commonly cremated their dead, and the symbol of a ceremonial urn was adapted to represent the idea of the body being reduced to its barest elements while the soul ascends to heaven. Often draped in a cloth, this drapery is thought to symbolize the veil between the living and the dead.3
Another symbol that symbolizes this concept is the gates ajar. This grave symbol was popularized by author Elizabeth Stuart Phelps in her 1868 book The Gates Ajar. The story follows a woman coming to terms with the death of her brother, who died in the Civil War. This symbol features an open gate, symbolizing that the gates to Heaven are not closed, and that departed souls can pass back and forth.3
As you might expect Halloween is celebrated all over the world. It is one of the oldest holidays after all. There are many ways to celebrate, the most obvious being donning a scary costume and going door-to-door for tricks or treats. But there are other Halloween traditions, older traditions that are practiced in all parts of the world.
It’s not surprising that some of them involve cemeteries!
In France, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are celebrated by children going house to house collecting flowers that they use to decorate graveyards and churches.4
To celebrate Dia De Los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, in Mexico families will have picnics in graveyards at the graveside of their loved ones, to remember and celebrate their life.4
In Portugal, wine and chestnuts are brought to feast on, in the cemetery.4
And in Rome, they celebrate Feralia, which is similar to the Day of the Dead in many ways. Families visit loved ones in the cemetery and also bring offerings for the spirits of their loved ones who linger at their graveside.4
The symbolism of gravestones, like the draped urn and gates ajar, echoes the stories of Persephone and the thinning veil between the living and the dead. As Halloween approaches, traditions around the world invite us to remember and celebrate our loved ones in these revered spaces.
So, this fall, take some time to wander through a cemetery, and let the beauty and tranquility inspire some reflection on the spirit of Halloween—the connections we hold with those who have passed, the stories they leave behind, and the traditions that keep their memory alive.
Did you know that not all Witches are found in Salem?
Folktales and legends of witches can be found worldwide, even in small towns in Ontario. This truth led me down a few rabbit holes that uncovered some fascinating stories about a darker side of Canada’s history—a history of stigma, politics, and strong women.
One such strong woman was Jane Elizabeth Martin Barnes, also known as Mother Barnes. This summer, I was fortunate to visit her homestead and pay my respects at her final resting place.
Every good witch legend exists in mystery, and the Witch of Plum Hollow is no different. Some details of her story are uncertain, like the date of her birth. Some sources note her date of birth as 1794, as engraved on her tombstone, while others note November 15, 1800.
What we do know, is that she was born in Cork, Ireland. Her father was an Irish landowner, and her mother was of Spanish Gypsy descent.1 Facing an arranged marriage, Elizabeth and her lover, a military man, left for North America where they would elope.1
The young couple would have one child together before misfortune struck. Elizabeth’s husband passed away tragically, leaving the young mother alone to raise their child.1 Four years later, she would marry David Barnes, a shoemaker. Together they had nine children, six sons and three daughters.1
In 1843, the Barnes family moved to Sheldon’s Corners, near Athens, Ontario.1 They raised seven of their children in the small wood cabin, that today is known as the Mother Barnes Homestead. Eventually, Elizabeth’s husband grew tired of farm life and left, taking their youngest son with him.1 Elizabeth was left with a house full of children to mind on her own.
To support her family, Elizabeth turned to fortune-telling.
She credited her Spanish Gypsy ancestry and the fact that she was the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter as the source of her second sight.2 She charged 25 cents for a reading and soon became well known for her accuracy.2
At this time, she began to be known as the Witch of Plum Hollow, respected by some and feared by others.1 People visited from everywhere for a reading from Mother Barnes. She became increasingly involved with local lost & found cases, finding lost items and missing livestock.2 She was also instrumental in a disappearance case, directing the searchers straight to the missing body.2
Her most famous visitor was a Kingston lawyer with political aspirations. Mother Barnes foretold that this man would become the leader of a new country and that its capital would be in Bytown.2
Today, Bytown is known as Ottawa and is the capital of Canada. That lawyer was John A. Macdonald, who became the first Prime Minister of Canada in 1867.2
Mother Barnes Homestead
The small log cabin that had so many visitors in the past sat for a time in utter disrepair. Over time, the wood rotted, and the roof sagged, the derelict state made worse by vandals’ damage.
The property, which includes; two acres, the original cabin, an abandoned well, and a deteriorating barn, was eventually purchased by descendants of Mother Barnes in the 1980s. They worked hard to try and bring the little cabin back to life.3
Newspaper clipping, The Ottawa Citizen, Thursday, October 28, 1982, page 23
Today the log cabin has been restored by new owners. A green sign with large gold script declares the site as the “Mother Barnes Homestead”. Beside the sign sits a large boulder with an indent suggesting there was once something attached to it. This once commemorative boulder had a sign that read “Home of Mother Barnes”. The sign was removed to preserve it from further damage, as it had been used as target practice.1
The property is now well maintained and sits behind a wooden fence, that is dotted with no trespassing signs.
The day I visited the Mother Barnes Homestead I was hoping there would be someone on the property to talk to, and maybe get a tour of this historic house. Unfortunately, the property was deserted. The no-trespassing signs were enough of a deterrent to keep me from trying to sneak a peek inside the windows.
I would have loved to be able to explore the attic, where Elizabeth was known to perform her tea readings. I hope one day the property will be opened as a historic house and museum.
Jane Elizabeth Martin Barnes died on February 4th, 1891 at the age of 90 after falling ill with pneumonia.5 She is laid to rest in Sheldon Cemetery, not far from her homestead.
Originally her grave was unmarked, that is until local Cheesemakers Claude and Ella Flood decided to erect a monument in her memory. Curiously, the dates on the stone are incorrect, listing her year of death as 1886.5
The stone itself was not placed on her actual gravesite either, I would learn. The stone sits beneath the cemetery sign arch near the cemetery entrance. When I visited, the arch was completely overgrown and obscured with vines. The gravestone reads: “Burial Place / of / Mother Barnes / 1794—1886”
While visiting another cemetery in the area, I met two women who pointed out some interesting graves for me to photograph. After showing me the graves, they asked if I had been to visit the Witch of Plum Hollow. I said yes, to which they replied that she wasn’t buried beneath the stone.
The unmarked grave of Mother Barnes lies at the back of the cemetery on the left-hand side.
The woman also shared that there is a pipe sticking out of the ground in that area, very close to the grave. They continued to tell me a story about the pipe, and how it was plugged for a very long time, to keep the witch’s spirit in. But, sometime in the 1980s, the pipe was unplugged and the spirit of the Witch was released. I was surprised to hear a negative tone in the woman’s voice as she told the story, and how she thought the pipe should have remained plugged.
It was interesting to see that the stigma behind the term witch was still alive, well over 100 years later.
But was Elizabeth Barnes really a witch?
By all accounts she was just a single mother, using kind advice and honest predictions to provide for her family. Predictions that very often came true.
I love a good spooky story, especially in October. So for today’s blog post, I want to share another October cemetery story—this time coming from the Muskokas.
Earlier this year I planned a cemetery road trip that would take me around Lake Muskoka; visiting Bala, Torrance, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, and Port Carling. I had quite a few cemetery stops planned as well as some other picturesque stops. At that same time, Canadian author Andrew Hind was coming out with a new book called Muskoka’s Most Haunted 2.
Hind is a freelance writer specializing in history, travel, lifestyle, and the paranormal. He has written quite a few books about hauntings in Ontario. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I read the book and discovered it has a chapter on Torrance Cemetery!
The small hamlet of Torrance was settled in 1870 by three families; Torrance, Coulter, and Jestin, all originally from Eramosa, Ontario.1 They had traveled to the area to explore a free land grant offered by the Government of Canada.1 The community was named after William Torrance, who was the first postmaster.1 The Torrance Union Cemetery, also known as Whiting Family and Church Cemetery, is located on the site of the first school that was erected in the township, in 1875.2
Today, the Township of Muskoka Lakes operates and maintains Torrance Cemetery, along with 11 other cemeteries in cottage country.3 They state that they offer a “peaceful” resting place for loved ones of all faiths, but Torrance Cemetery has a long history of being anything but peaceful.3
The lone, stone mausoleum belongs to the Whiting family. Their story is one fraught with tragedy. William O’Dell Darling Pine Whiting was born in 1857, in England.4 Whiting came to Canada in the late 1870s and briefly served in the Riel Rebellion as a member of the Northwest Grenadiers militia regiment in 1885, which is when he fell in love with the Muskokas.4,5
In 1892, he would return to the area, this time with his wife Clara Margaret Cronkite and their young family.5 Whiting purchased a large piece of waterfront property on Lake Muskoka, with dreams of building the finest resort in Ontario.5 He would call it Brighton Beach Hotel, reminiscent of a similar hotel back in Brighton Beach, England.4 Unfortunately, Whiting’s dream would never bear fruit. Only a week after the official opening, in July 1895, the grand hotel burned to the ground. Luckily, no one was injured.5
In 1898, Whiting revived his dream, this time on a smaller scale.5 The second incarnation of the hotel, Brighton Beach II4, had more success. It welcomed vacationers for two decades, before tragedy struck a second time in 1917.4,5 Sadly, this fire had one casualty. It claimed the life of Whiting’s infant granddaughter.5
Whiting never rebuilt, and never recovered after the loss of his granddaughter.5 Whiting passed away in 1937, and was laid to rest in the Whiting Family mausoleum in Torrance Cemetery. His wife Clara is also laid to rest within the stone crypt, alongside two of their children—and it seems their spirits are not at rest.5
There have been many reports over the years of paranormal activity taking place in and around the crypt. Ghost lights have been reportedly spotted, as well as full-bodied apparitions and disembodied voices.5 Are the spirits restless or were they awakened by something more sinister?
There is a particularly terrifying story of vandalism and desecration of the family vault. The crypt was broken into, and a coffin smashed open.5 The dead did not rest in peace that night.
The haunted reputation of the cemetery has garnered some attention as various ghost hunters and paranormal investigators have visited the cemetery. All trying to capture proof of ghostly phenomenon.
My mother and I visited Torrance Cemetery in early April. The spring thaw left the ground littered with brown leaves, giving off heavy fall vibes. The trees were also bare, their new growth still dormant. It was a perfect, faux-fall day to be wandering a haunted cemetery.
I had read the book before our visit, so visions of ghosts were swimming in my head as we wandered the cemetery. It was interesting to stand before the family mausoleum and think about the vandalism, the desecration, and the sightings.
I examined the gated door, peering into the dark screened windows. But, I didn’t see anything, nor did I hear anything. My mother on the other hand had her own experience.
As we normally do when visiting cemeteries, we each go our separate ways, drawn to different things. She told me afterward, that while she wandered the cemetery rows she suddenly felt cold. Not from a cool breeze, but like she had been suddenly “dipped in cold water” from her head to her toes. The sensation didn’t last long, and she didn’t think anything more of it. That is until she read the stories.
My mother read the book after our visit, with the experience of visiting the mausoleum still fresh in her mind. She reacted quite differently than I did when I read the stories of Torrance Cemetery. It terrified her! She was briefly paralyzed with fear, while cozied up on the couch to read.
Then she remembered the pinecones!
My mother had picked up two rather large pine cones while we were in the cemetery. She thought that they would each make a nice natural bird feeder if smeared with peanut butter and coated with seeds. She suddenly became fearful that she had brought a piece of the cemetery home, maybe even bringing a spirit home with her.
Thankfully, nothing strange has happened since bringing the pinecones home. And they are still hanging in the tree in the backyard, months later.
Do you believe in ghosts? Could the Torrance Cemetery be haunted?
To read more about Torrance Cemetery, and other haunted locations in the Muskokas, I highly recommend the Muskoka’s Most Haunted series by Andrew Hind.
This is one of my favorite movie quotes, and it comes from the 1968, black-and-white independent horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. I even have a small piece of the Evans City Chapel framed on my wall. The chapel sits in Evans City Cemetery, which is where the opening scene of the film was shot.
This horror classic was written and directed by George Romero, the father of zombie films. This summer, I had the chance to visit the final resting place of this iconic director.
George Andrew Romero was born in New York City on February 4, 1940, and grew up in the Bronx. His interest in film began at an early age and he would go on to enroll at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh.1
After graduating in 1960, Romero began shooting short films and TV commercials, including an early short for the popular children’s show Mister Rogers Neighborhood.1
Romero’s break-out film Night of the Living Dead was revolutionary for the horror genre, and today is a staple of any horror film addict’s collection. This film completely reinvented the image of one of today’s most popular movie monsters.
Romero created the rules for a new kind of zombie. Now portrayed as reanimated corpses who hunger for living flesh. They are slow and shambling, with only one purpose. Silent, aside from their eerie moaning as they get closer to their prey. There is only one way to stop them—a violent strike to the head.
The film’s explicit violence and gore garnered negative reviews at its release, but today the film has amassed a cult following. In 1999, the film was deemed culturally and historically significant by the Library of Congress and has been preserved by the National Film Registry.2 In part for its social commentary during the 1960’s.
Romero would go on to write and direct other films, even directing a romantic comedy, but he always gravitated back toward the undead. He would go on to create a whole series of films set in the Dead universe; Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and Survival of the Dead—his last film.
After falling in love with the city, Romero moved to Toronto, Ontario in 2004. He would shoot a lot of his later films in the city. In 2009, he acquired his Canadian citizenship, becoming a dual Canadian-American citizen.
In 2017, George Romero died in his Toronto home of lung cancer. He was 77.3 Romero is laid to rest in Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium.
The Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium is one of the city’s oldest and most historic cemeteries, dating back to 1850.4 The fully restored cemetery entrance features high Victorian Gothic architecture which also makes it one of the most scenic cemeteries in the area.4
I was enthralled the minute we stepped out of the Uber. The grand cemetery entrance sets the tone for the beautifully forested cemetery within. It was my first time visiting this enchanting cemetery. Being unfamiliar with its layout, I used Google Maps to lead us. Of course, I was easily distracted by the elaborate and historic gravestones we passed along our route.
As we approached a densely forested section, we heard the screeching of a hawk. It sounded close and didn’t seem to like us encroaching on its territory. Luckily the grave we were searching for was a bit farther back in the cemetery. My fiancé stuck to the meandering paths that snaked around the grounds while I ventured into the rows to read the graves.
Although not quite accurate, Google Maps led me to the general area we were searching for. Surrounded by tablet stones and obelisks, sits the mirror-like black granite stone of George A. Romero.
The epitaph reads, “George A. Romero / 1940 – 2017 / He Loved, / And Was Loved.”
On the footstone is inscribed a quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “Now cracks a noble heart. / Good-night sweet prince; And / flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Although the cemetery was quiet that day, we could tell that many had come before us to pay their respects. Someone had planted two skeleton hands at the base of the grave, reaching up towards the inscription. Another skeleton hand, giving a thumbs up was also planted near the gravestone. Someone also left a little miniature zombie figure. The gravesite looked decorated for Halloween, even though we visited at the end of July!
Years ago, while collaborating with a community group dedicated to screening cult classics for charity, I envisioned hosting an event that would bring Romero to my small Northern Ontario town for a screening of one of his legendary films. Unfortunately, that dream never came true.
Although I never had the chance to meet him in person, to thank him for all the scares, visiting his grave and paying my respects was a profound and memorable experience for me.
During the summer, I wrote about a surprise road trip I took with my mother in Cambridge. This curated road trip, created by Guess Where Trips took us to exciting and spooky places. I shared a little about our Historic Haunts tour, but I wanted to keep some of the details a surprise at the time, so I could share this ghost story and pioneer cemetery visit with you now, in October.
So today on the blog, I want to share a little bit more about my visit to the haunted Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower and Doon Pioneer Cemetery and explore its rich history.
While looking for places to go for a walk, the day before our Historic Haunts tour, I found a hidden gem that had everything we were looking for—a walking trail, a historic site, and a cemetery. Little did we know when we visited that it was also haunted!
The Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower stands 18.9 meters tall, and peaks out above the surrounding trees. We could see its Swiss-style copper roof and the cute Conestoga wagon weather vane that sits atop it, as I parked my car in the nearby parking lot.1
The Tower built in 1926, was created to commemorate the arrival of the Pennsylvania-German pioneers who immigrated to the area between 1800 and 1803.1 Fieldstones that line the outside wall of the tower represent the tireless work they did to plow and clear the land for farms and homesteads.
At one time, it was possible to go inside the tower and climb its spiral staircase to the eight-sided observation deck. The view is amazing, as Bob Oberholtzer noted in a 2015 article for the Waterloo Region Record. Citing it as one of the most “historic views”, it’s possible to overlook the first four Mennonite farms that were settled in the area.2 Oberholtzer also talked about how they used to scare the girls who climbed the tower, not with ghost stories, but with childhood antics like shaking the stairs as the girls climbed up.2
Although the tower has barely needed any repairs to keep it standing over the years, the tower has been closed to the public since 2008.2 BUT, it is possible to tour inside, by special request.2 A sign on site has a phone number that can be called to book a visit to the top of the tower. I wish I would have known this when we visited. We made do by peering through the gated doors to glimpse the cobwebs and spiral staircase inside.
What we also didn’t know at the time of our visit, was the haunted history of the place. The story goes that a woman jumped to her death from the top of the tower. She was distraught and suffering from grief of the loss of her husband, who went off to war—but never returned.3
They say her restless spirit can sometimes be seen at the top of the tower, waiting for her lost love to return.3
Doon Pioneer Cemetery
The 98-year-old Pioneer tower sits within a small grassy field, right beside the Doon Pioneer Cemetery. This is the final resting place of the Schoerg and Betzner families and overlooks the Grand River.
Also known as the Schoerg/Betzner cemetery, this small burial ground is where the first settlers are laid to rest, who arrived in Waterloo Township in the spring of 1800. The small cemetery is filled with old gravestones and field stones, marking their final resting place.
Some of the gravestones are very worn, so I took the opportunity to try out a trick I saw in one of the cemetery groups I am a part of. By using a mirror to reflect sunlight, or by holding a flashlight at an oblique angle you can create enough contrast to make gravestones legible again.
I had a small flashlight on me, one with a small beam so it worked well on the smaller stones. I asked my mom to hold the flashlight for me, as I lined up my shot by looking through the small viewfinder on my DLSR. The deep shadows help some of the long-forgotten words to be legible again. The flashlight trick didn’t work as well on larger stones, because the beam from the flashlight is too narrow to illuminate enough of the stone. I would need a much larger beam for that. This trick of the light is a great way to reveal gravestone inscriptions while doing no harm.
My mother and I both enjoyed visiting the memorial tower and the small burial ground beside it. We took our time taking in the beautiful craftsmanship and design of the tower and its history. At the time, we had no thoughts of ghostly apparitions in our minds. We didn’t experience anything supernatural. We just admired the Fieldstone Tower and all the toil and hard work it represented for those early pioneers.
After exploring the cemetery and paying our respects to the early settlers of the area, we made our way to the Walter Bean Grand River Trail. The flat gravel path meanders through the Pioneer Tower Natural Area taking you along the Grand River. The trail is dotted with educational panels, and the path eventually brings you to the Pioneer Tower Bridge.
On the opposite side of the bridge lies the Doon Valley Golf Course. On our walk, we didn’t cross but stopped at the bridge to take in the views. We sat for a time at a little garden roundabout, just before the bridge, admiring the flowers and wildlife. We were lucky to see a wild rabbit scurry across the trail.
The Memorial Tower was always in view during our walk, peeking out above the treeline like a sentinel keeping watch. A strong reminder of those who came before us. The whole area is beautiful, even more so now I imagine with the fall colors starting to emerge.
So if you are looking for a nice place to take in nature and enjoy some dark history, I think the Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower and adjacent Doon Pioneer cemetery would be a great place for a fall outing. Who knows, you might even see a ghost.
This summer, I decided to download the Pokémon GO app on my smartphone to see if anything had changed in the game. I thought it might be fun to see if the game was still as popular today as it was when it first came out in 2016. I was also curious to see what I could find in the game while out visiting cemeteries.
Pokémon GO, the augmented reality game based on the popular kids cartoon, launched in early July 2016. The free-to-play mobile game quickly took off with kids, and adults, taking to the streets to try and catch’em all.
Using GPS and Google Maps the game points out local landmarks near you and encourages users to go outside, be active, and explore. Using the phone’s camera and augmented reality, the game makes it possible to see Pokémon within whatever background you point your camera at. Adding to the experience, the type of Pokémon you can find depends on the time of day, weather, and the landscape. You will more likely find water-type Pokémon near lakes and rivers, plant types in parks or forests, and ghost types in—you guessed it—cemeteries.
Pokémon GO screenshot
Controversy
Along with many Pokémon to catch, the game also features Poké Stops and Poké Gyms. Players, or trainers as they are called in the game, can visit these locations to stock up on free in-game items to aid in their Pokémon collecting or to strengthen their Pokémon.
These virtual locations are found at the sites of real-world landmarks; like murals, historic plaques, and memorials. This created some controversy from the beginning, as players who were keen to catch stronger and rarer Pokémon began getting themselves into some trouble.
There were many reports of some folks accidentally getting locked in cemeteries after hours, and large mobs of players congregating loudly in cemeteries, among other things. Some cemeteries and historic sites, such as the Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery have banned Pokémon GO on their grounds. Other cemeteries have followed suit, contacting Niantic, the makers of the game, to remove the Poké Stops and gyms from their grounds. Others have also placed warning signs, making it clear that playing on the grounds is not allowed.
Pokémon GO was a fairly divisive topic when it was first released. Some argued that the game could be beneficial, bringing more people into cemeteries and historic places, and encouraging people to learn more about their surroundings and history. It was also argued that playing Pokémon GO in cemeteries allowed players to explore and talk about their feelings regarding death.
On the other hand, people argued that it was disrespectful and not proper behavior for a cemetery. The large gatherings were deemed to be disruptive, and those who ignored their surroundings were potentially causing damage or possible injury.
I believe these are all valid points. Cemeteries are the precursors to today’s public parks and were once the place to go for a picnic or a meandering walk in nature. I often say that cemeteries are for the living and should be visited and enjoyed.
Of course, it can’t be forgotten that these are also places of mourning and remembrance and should be treated as such. I have spoken before about cemetery etiquette and how you should always be respectful of your surroundings.
Are Gamers still Haunting Cemetery Grounds?
So are gamers still haunting cemetery grounds to catch elusive Pokémon? In my experience, no.
In the 100 cemeteries I visited this Spring and Summer, I was the only one who was trying to catch’em all. I don’t usually bring my smartphone with me on cemetery walks unless I am working on creating video content for Instagram. Otherwise, I only have my trusty DLSR with me. I did try to make a point to have my phone with me this Summer, specifically to play Pokémon GO. I was not always successful at remembering though. Though I did try, it never became a huge part of my time in the cemetery. I would open the app, catch one or two Pokémon, and then put it away to focus the rest of my time on photographing the gravestones.
I did make some observations though while scanning the game. Smaller cemeteries usually didn’t have any Poké Stops, but some of the larger cemeteries did. Larger cemeteries often have multiple meandering walking paths that would be suitable for walking routes. Routes are a new feature in the game, that was introduced in 2023. These routes are just small walking trails that vary in length. The idea is to encourage players to be active by offering free items on completion of the route.
The Poké Stops I came across were located at large commemorative memorials, or the entrance of a cemetery. I didn’t find any that were connected to individual memorials.
Although it was a fun experiment, Pokémon GO will not become a regular part of my cemetery visits. I already have a long list of things I look for when visiting cemeteries. I found myself being more drawn to the game when I was traveling, especially when traveling by train. It was a fun distraction to pass the time.
I do think Pokémon GO could be a fun activity to encourage people to get more interested in history and the story of their community. As long as it’s done respectfully of course.
What do you think? Do you still play, or do you think you may download the app. I would love to read your thoughts in the comments.
Cemetery Photography by Chantal Larochelle 