Tag: Canadian Cemeteries

October Stone Stories: The Witch of Plum Hollow

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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.

Elizabeth Barnes

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.

Mother Barnes Homestead

Mother Barnes Homestead, Athens ON ©2024

Sheldon Cemetery

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”

Sheldon Cemetery, Sheldon’s Corners ON ©2024

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.

  • Sheldon Cemetery, Sheldon’s Corners ON ©2024

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.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Elizabeth Barnes: The Witch of Plum Hollow | Pinecone
  2. Meet Mother Barnes, the “Witch” of Plum Hollow, Ontario | NCPR
  3. Plum Hollow Witch still casts spell |The Ottawa Citizen, Thursday, October 28, 1982, page 23
  4. The Plum Hollow Witch | Ottawa Rewind
  5. The Witch of Plum Hollow | Arlene Stafford Wilson

October Cemetery Stories: Torrance Cemetery

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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!

  • Whiting Family mausoleum. Torrance Cemetery, Torrance ON ©2024

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

  • Torrance Cemetery, Torrance ON ©2024

Haunted Family Mausoleum

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

Whitting Family mausoleum. Torrance Cemetery, Torrance ON ©2024
Plaque on Whitting Family mausoleum in Torrance Cemetery
Whitting Family mausoleum in Torrance Cemetery
Whitting Family mausoleum in Torrance Cemetery
Whitting Family mausoleum in Torrance Cemetery

Whiting Family mausoleum. Torrance Cemetery, Torrance ON ©2024

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.

  • Whiting Family mausoleum. Torrance Cemetery, Torrance ON ©2024

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.

  • A pinecone from Torrance Cemetery. ©2024

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.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Torrance | Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce
  2. Torrance Union Cemetery | Muskoka, Parry Sound Genealogy Group
  3. Cemeteries | Township of Muskoka Lakes
  4. The History of the Old Stone Crypt | Muskoka Blog
  5. Muskoka’s Most Haunted 2 by Andrew Hind | Book

October Stone Stories: The Father of Zombies

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“They’re coming to get you, Barbra”

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.

Photo credit: Nicolas Genin, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ via Wikimedia Commons

George A. Romero

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.

  • George A. Romero, Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium, Toronto ON ©2024

Toronto Necropolis Cemetery

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!

George A. Romero, Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium, Toronto ON ©2024

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.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. George A. Romero | Find a Grave
  2. Preserving the Silver Screen | Library of Congress
  3. Fans say final goodbye to ‘Godfather of zombies’ George Romero at visitation | CBC
  4. Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium | Find a Grave

October Cemetery Stories: A Haunted Tower and a Pioneer Cemetery

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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.

  • Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower, Kitchener ON ©2024

Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower

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.

Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower, Kitchener ON ©2024

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.

Doon Pion

Doon Pioneer Cemetery also known as Schoerg/Betzner Family Cemetery, Kitchener ON ©2024

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.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower | Parks Canada
  2. Descendant of Waterloo pioneers wants memorial tower open again | Waterloo Region Record
  3. Historic Haunts Tour | Guess Where Trips

Pokémon GO: Are Gamers still Haunting Cemetery Grounds?

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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.

  • Trafalgar Lawn Cemetery, Oakville ON ©2024

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.

Civic Cemetery, Sudbury ON ©2024, Pokémon GO screenshots

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.

Thanks for reading!

Stone Stories: Let’s Remember Adam

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Back-to-school season is here in Northern Ontario. Summer break is over, and children are returning to the classroom. As parents get their young ones ready for another school year, school buses are also preparing to get back on the road.

Around this time, messaging starts about road and bus safety. It often makes me think of a big yellow and black billboard I would sometimes see on my travels. Although the billboard on Old Highway 69 is in bad shape and peeling now, I still remember when it had the smiling face of a young boy, imploring drivers to STOP for the school bus.
 
It’s time to remember Adam.

  • Portrait of Adam Ranger. Photo: Saint Annes Cemetery also known as Saint Annes Catholic Cemetery, Mattawa ON ©2023

Little Adam Ranger has become the face of school bus safety. How that came to be is a sad and tragic story.

On February 11, 2000, Ranger was struck and killed getting off the school bus in Mattawa. The school bus had stopped on the highway to let 5-year-old Adam and his older brother Alex off the bus at the end of the school day.

A pick-up truck tried to pass the school bus, even though the bus was fully stopped with its lights flashing and its stop arm fully extended. The truck swerved and missed Ranger and his brother, but the trailer that the truck was towing made contact, hitting Adam and killing him. This devasting scene happened just steps away from his home.1
 
Since that tragic day, Pierre Ranger, Adam’s older brother, has fought for amendments to the regulations for school bus safety.
 
2024 marks the 24th anniversary of Ranger’s death. 

Mattawa

Mattawa has never forgotten Adam. When my mother and I visited Mattawa last fall, we explored the Mattawa Museum which has a small exhibit about Ranger. It included the well-known billboard image and postcards that carry the bus safety message.

Ranger is laid to rest in Saint Annes Cemetery, also known as Saint Annes Catholic Cemetery. My mother and I paid our respects at the cemetery, admiring his lovely headstone. It’s a loving tribute to a life taken too soon.

Ranger’s black granite gravestone features a beautiful portrait of Adam, a small etching of the cartoon mouse Stewart Little, and an epitaph that reads “Playing with Pépère”. The base of his gravestone is cluttered with stones, tokens from those who have visited to pay their respects.

One gravegood stands out among the rest—a skull. It’s worn from the elements, it’s white paint chipped away. Deb Ranger, Adam’s mother, has said that Halloween was Adam’s favorite holiday. He loved it more than Christmas.2

Photos: Saint Annes Cemetery also known as Saint Annes Catholic Cemetery, Mattawa ON ©2023

Adam’s Legacy

Putting their grief and anger to work, the Ranger family created the Let’s Remember Adam campaign. Its mission is to ensure that all children travel to and from school safely each day and to remind motorists to STOP for the school bus.3

Ontario drivers illegally pass school buses more than 30,000 times per day, according to the statistics.4 There is a lot of work to be done, but Pierre Ranger is undaunted.

Let’s Remember Adam has been a big contributor to the success of the Safer School Buses Act, 2021 which has officially become law.5 As of the 2022-2023 school year, Ontario requires all school buses manufactured after 2005 to have the amber-red warning system installed.5 This system, which Ranger had been advocating for, for years, consists of a new lighting system that lets drivers know when a school bus is approaching its next stop. A set of amber lights will flash when the school bus is approaching its stop, signaling that it is slowing down to stop. The red lights then activate when the bus has come to a complete stop.5

The group has also successfully lobbied for stop-arm cameras to be installed on school buses, to identify those who don’t stop and pass illegally. Mattawa was the first community to have this camera system mounted on 19 buses in their fleet.6 This free system is available to any municipality that wants the added security.6 The ultimate goal is to have these stop-arm safety systems installed on all school buses in the province.7

  • Let’s Remember Adam bumper sticker. Photo: Let’s Remember Adam Facebook Page.

The Ranger family has been a strong contributor to bus and road safety, while at the same time keeping the memory of little Adam alive. Adam’s story is an important and timely one. I hope by sharing and remembering Adam, I can do a small part in spreading more awareness about bus safety and all the good work the Let’s Remember Adam campaign has accomplished.

I hope it will also be a good reminder to drivers as this year’s school season begins, to please STOP for the school bus.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Twenty years after Adam’s Ranger’s death, family still fighting dangerous drivers | CBC
  2. Comment | Let’s Remember Adam STOP FOR THE SCHOOL BUS !! Facebook group
  3. Mission statement | Let’s Remember Adam
  4. Let’s Remember Adam
  5. Ranger ‘beyond frustrated’ by more incidents involving drivers who ignore school bus safety | Bay Today
  6. All municipalities can choose to outfit local school buses with no-cost smart cameras | Bay Today
  7. Ranger family remembers Adam on his birthday — and every day | Bay Today

Cemetery Road Trip: Guess Where Trips

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Who doesn’t love a road trip; especially one that is pre-planned for you? All you need is your sense of adventure, a full tank of gas, and someone to share it with!

I mentioned last week that I would share more details about the Guess Where Trips adventure that my mom and I did during our summer vacation. So, today on the blog, I wanted to introduce you to this fun company, if you haven’t already heard of them, and share a little bit more about how our adventure played out.

Marilu, the Travel Support Specialist at Guess Where Trips, gave me a Historic Haunts tour to try out for free, in return for an honest review. The Historic Haunts tour includes a couple of cemetery stops, so it was a perfect fit! This trip is a round-up of spooky and unusual attractions, leading you on a route full of haunted history and ghostly stories. My favorite kind of road trip!

Guess Where Trips

Guess Where Trips offers beautifully packaged, one-day surprise road trips that will take you to all manner of hidden gems in Canada and the United States. Inspired after creating a scavenger hunt-style road trip as a gift to her parents, Jess Off founded Guess Where Trips in January of 2020.1 These curated road trips encourage you to explore the road less traveled, while also supporting small businesses and communities along the way.1

Lots of meticulous planning and research goes into all 135 available trips. And they are working on creating new adventures all the time. On June 20th of this year, they released 13 new trips that feature Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

In a recent email, the Guess Where Trips team shared all the intricate work and planning that goes into designing their trips. A big part of their planning revolves around what they call their “magic map”, an evolving map filled with pinned locations that serve as a foundation for outlining their growing list of surprise road trips. 

I thought their magic map looked pretty similar to my master map of Ontario cemeteries. Although mine focuses on cemetery locations, there are a few hiking trails, and museums pinned on there. I use my map a bit differently, using it to track visited sites (the grey pins) and as a starting point for creating location-specific maps for my cemetery road trips.  

The Guess Where Trips Magic Map and the left, my master map of Ontario cemeteries on the right.

The Historic Haunts tour was the first ghostly trip created by Jess Off and her team and was initially most popular around the Halloween season. Today, all their haunted trips have become popular regardless of the season. Some of the other spooky trips they offer in Ontario are Weird and Wonderful Things, Spooky Sights & Ghostly Tales, Beautifully Haunted, and Hidden Gems of Huronia.

They offer an adventure for everyone! If haunted hidden gems are not your thing, you might enjoy one of their other themed trips. They have trips that feature wineries, and breweries, romantic getaways, scenic drives, and outdoorsy adventures.

My Guess Where Adventure

The Historic Haunts tour begins in Cambridge, Ontario which is about a 4-and-a-half-hour drive from me. So, my mother and I packed up the car and took advantage of the nice summer weather to make an overnight trip. We drove up to the tri-city on Thursday, with plans to follow the surprise road trip all day on Friday. Then we would drive home on the Saturday. This gave us some extra time to explore the area, so I found some other things for us to do as well.

Friday morning, after a nice breakfast, we opened our first envelope to see where our first stop would take us. It brought us to downtown Cambridge to explore the architecture and haunted history of some of its older buildings. With coffee in hand, we sat outside the beautiful stone building that was once a Post Office, and read the tragic tale of a torrid love affair that ended in suicide. Even though it was a bright sunny morning, it was still a bit spooky to be looking up at so much dark history.

  • Idea Exchange / Old Post Office, Cambridge ON ©2024

Our second stop brought us to a beautiful historic house and art gallery. We were a little early, arriving before they opened for the day, so we decided to explore the optional spooky abandoned spot that was just around the corner—The Doon Mills Ruins. 

Things got a little interesting at this point. The Doon Mills, originally built in 1834 have seen many tragedies, having burned in a fire not once, but twice! Today, many people report ghostly occurrences at this small section of ruins that sit at the trailhead. People claim to have heard ghostly footsteps or even heard their name called. Almost as soon as we arrived at the ruins, my mother complained of a burning wood smell. I didn’t smell anything though. My mom got a little creeped out when I reminded her that smelling burning wood was something many people experienced when visiting the ruins. 

  • The Doon Mills Ruins, Kitchener ON ©2024

We made our way back to the Homer Watson House & Gallery once it had opened for the day, and was given a lovely tour by the staff. They made sure to tell us the haunted history of the place when we told them we were on the Haunted History tour. It is a beautiful house with a very interesting history. After exploring the house, I just had to ask where Homer Watson might be buried. It just so happens that he is laid to rest in the cemetery just down the road from the historic house, so my mother and I made an extra stop to visit his grave and pay our respects.

Homer Watson House & Gallery and grave of Homer Watson. Kitchener ON ©2024

Remember how I mentioned I had found some other things for us to visit while we were in Cambridge for the tour? Well, that ended up mucking up our surprise road trip a little bit. The third stop on our road trip directed us to a haunted tower and an ancient cemetery. Well, it just so happens that my mother and I had visited this location the day before. It was a perfect evening activity as it checked a lot of boxes for us; a historic site, a cemetery, and a walking trail. At the time of our visit though, we had no idea the tower was haunted.

By this time it was also the lunch hour, so instead of visiting that location again, we decided to try one of the recommended restaurant stops. We visited the Borealis Grille & Bar to have some lunch and read through some of the haunted history of the tower we visited the evening before. After that nice rest, we opened our next envelope.

Our fourth envelope presented a choose-your-own-adventure opportunity. So it worked out that we had already visited the previous stop. This gave us more time to visit multiple locations on this leg of our road trip adventure.

We chose to visit Rushes Cemetery in Wellesley first. I was pretty excited to see this listed as the first optional stop. There is a very interesting gravestone in this cemetery, and it has been on my cemetery bucket list for a while. This cemetery is the final resting place of Henrietta and Susanna, the first and second wives of Dr. Samuel Bean. What makes this stone so unique is the fact that this tombstone is written in a crossword code, and it took over 100 years to decode it. 

  • The Bean Puzzle tombstone, Rushes Cemetery, Wellesley ON ©2024

After I took some time to photograph the cemetery we made our way to Fergus to visit the Wellington Museum & Archives. By the time we got there, we would have just enough time for a quick tour before they closed for the day. 

Once known as the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, built in 1877, this beautiful building now houses a permanent display of the Institution’s history, as well as a few changing exhibits. The permanent exhibit “If These Walls Could Speak” explores the lives of the people who lived, worked, and died within the walls of the Poor House. It’s not surprising this National Historic site is also home to a few ghosts. 

After we toured the building, taking in all the interesting exhibits and history we made our way down the road to visit the Poorhouse Cemetery. This cemetery sits at the edge of the property and was established for those who had no family to claim them. After we paid our respects at the cemetery, we headed back to Cambridge to have some supper and rest at the hotel. 

Wellington Museum & Archives, and the Poorhouse Cemetery, Fergus ON ©2024

Our Historic Haunts tour was a great success. My mother and I had a lot of fun exploring and learning about the community and local history. It was a great mix of haunted history, museums, and cemeteries. Although we did add a couple of cemetery stops to our trip, it made sense to stop in and pay our respects after learning so much about their history. 

I also loved the surprise element and the choose-your-own-adventure style. Opening each envelope was a fun addition that created a sense of anticipation. The multiple options also gave you the freedom to choose how your route was going to unfold. The restaurant and cafe options were also great additions, taking into account that you may get hungry or need a coffee break during all the exploring. It is so well thought out!   

I asked my mom what she thought of the trip and she loved that all the planning is done for you and that it was really easy to follow. She also loved all the history that is provided for each stop, her favorite being the tragic tale of love and loss at the Old Post Office. She loved the beautiful architecture but noted that we would have never known about its tragic history, just by looking at the building. She said it was a great adventure!

We had a great time, and we both would recommend these trips to anyone looking for a unique adventure. So if you are looking for road trip ideas, definitely check out Guess Where Trips and let them lead you to some fun and fascinating destinations! 

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. About Us | Guess Where Trips

Summer Cemetery Adventures & Highlights

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I have been slowly getting back into my regular routine after a fun two-week vacation. For today’s blog post, I wanted to provide a little recap of my holidays and give you a sneak peek of some upcoming blog posts based on my summer cemetery adventures.

I did quite a bit of traveling during the last two weeks, getting the chance to explore the Ottawa Valley and some of Southern Ontario. My fiancé and I spent some time in Ottawa visiting family and touring a bit of the city. Of course, I tried to fit in as many cemetery visits as I could. I had the chance to visit the grave of the Unknown Soldier on Parliament Hill and witness the changing of the guard. We popped into the lobby of the haunted Chateau Laurier to look at its beautiful architecture, and I even had the chance to stop in at the office of Haunted Walk to say hello and browse their gift shop.

  • The grave of the Unknown Soldier, Ottawa ON ©2024

After Ottawa, we made our way to Perth to visit some friends and explore a bit more. We explored the quaint little town and had to stop in at the Mammoth Cheese for a quick photo – I do love a fun roadside attraction. One of my favorite things we did while in Perth was take a short road trip to visit the Mother Barnes Homestead and the grave of the Witch of Plum Hollow. When I was planning our trip and saw how close we would be to Plum Hollow, I knew we had to take the opportunity to visit. The story of Mother Barnes is a very interesting one, full of folklore, politics, and witchcraft. The stigma of which can still be felt today. I look forward to sharing her story and my visit with you in an upcoming blog post.

Another fun thing I did on vacation was take my mom on a Guess Where Trips adventure. They sent me the Historic Haunts tour to try out, which just so happens to have some cemetery stops! We had a great time exploring Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo and its outskirts. I don’t want to get into too much detail here about our trip because I will be writing a full post about our adventures soon, but I will say it was a super fun experience!

  • Guess Where Trips

If you’re not familiar with Guess Where Trips, I highly recommend you check them out! They offer fun road trip itineraries that will take you to lots of hidden gems. They include interesting facts and stories about each location and great restaurant suggestions. Our trip took us to a haunted historic house and art gallery, mill ruins, a unique tombstone, and a haunted museum. We learned a lot on our trip, and I have a lot to write about for upcoming blog posts.

The last leg of our summer vacation took my fiancé and I to Toronto. We were there for the Sammy Hagar Best of All Worlds Tour. It was a great show, with Lover Boy opening for Hagar. While we were in town, we took the opportunity to hang out with some friends and do some exploring in the downtown core. We checked out a few board game stores, visited our favorite brewery, popped into the new location of the Prehistoria Museum & Store, visited the Monkey’s Paw, and tried an amazing new Mexican place. My favorite stop though, was our visit to the Toronto Necropolis.

The Toronto Necropolis has been on my cemetery bucket list for a while. Can you believe I had never visited any Toronto cemeteries before? This cemetery was high on my list because it is the final resting place of the father of zombie movies – George A. Romero. It’s also a gorgeous cemetery and one of my new favorites. This cemetery also holds some other notable graves and, I look forward to sharing my visit with you.

  • Toronto Necropolis Chapel, Toronto ON ©2024

In total, I made 19 cemetery visits on my holidays and collected a lot of content for upcoming posts on the blog. It was a great vacation and one that made me reconsider my career. If only I could make traveling, photographing cemeteries, and writing about them a full-time job!

I hope I piqued your interest with all the upcoming stories. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you haven’t already, to get new cemetery posts straight to your inbox every Sunday. Stay tuned for next week’s post about my Guess Where Trips adventure.

I hope you also got to enjoy some time off this summer to explore, relax, and reconnect with friends and family. The season is so short you need to fit in the summer fun where you can.

Thanks for reading!

A Collection of Anchors

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Every gravestone symbol and motif tells a story.

If you spend a lot of time in cemeteries, you will often start to notice the repetition of certain symbols. Throughout my travels, I have seen the shift in common cemetery symbols. What might be a common motif found in one area might be uncommon in another.

As I travel Ontario more frequently, I have noticed more and more anchor symbolism. So today on the blog, I wanted to look a little closer at this symbol, what it represents, and some of the examples I have photographed in my travels.

Sometimes anchors are found on the graves of sailors or those who have died at sea, but this is rare. The anchor is a Christian symbol and represents hope, steadfastness, and calm.

The symbolism is thought to come from passages in the bible, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” 

  • A Collection of Anchors
  • Espanola Cemetery, Espanola ON ©2021
  • Union Cemetery, Sturgeon Falls ON ©2021

Saint Andrew’s Anglican Churchyard, Grimsby ON ©2023

“Those without hope may be like a ship tossed on the sea…”

  • Bronte Cemetery, Oakville ON ©2024
  • St. James Anglican Cemetery, Gravenhurst ON ©2024
  • Allenwood Cemetery, Allenwood ON ©2023

You might also come across a female figure holding an anchor. The anchor signifies that this is Hope, one of the Seven Virtues.

The Seven Virtues are traits that some of those of the Christian faith aspire to. According to Tui Snider’s book Understanding Cemetery Symbols, this list of traits was created by Greek philosophers and then adopted by Christian scholars. Sometimes the virtues are labeled on the statue’s pedestal, but you must look closely at their design for clues.

Hillcrest Cemetery, Parry Sound ON ©2023

Have you ever found a unique version of an anchor symbol? I would love to read about your finds in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  • Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards by Tui Snider | Book
  • Stories in Stone: The Complete Guide to Cemetery Symbolism by Douglas Keister | Book

Cemetery Book Review: Landscapes of Memories

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Summer is pretty much in full swing and I know lots of folks are working on getting back out into their local cemeteries to explore. This also means that clean-up and conservation projects are also getting started. That’s why I chose Landscapes of Memories for this month’s cemetery book review.

Landscapes of Memories : A Guide for Conserving Historic Cemeteries, Repairing Tombstones was compiled and edited by Tamara Anson-Cartwright, who at the time this book was published was the Architectural Conservation Advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Culture, and Recreation. First published in 1998 by Queen’s Printer for Ontario, this guide focuses on conserving historic cemeteries by identifying the materials found in cemeteries, cleaning gravestones as well as basic gravestone repair. Here is the summary of the book from the publisher: 

“Landscapes of Memories – A Guide for Conserving Historic Cemeteries addresses the issues associated with the preservation and conservation of their cemeteries and tombstones. Cemetery trustees and genealogical societies have recorded the irreplaceable information of these tombstones, yet not enough has been written about the historical significance of Ontario’s cemeteries or their contribution to the cultural landscape. Nothing is available that describes conservation techniques appropriate for the different types of grave markers found in Ontario. This publication will begin to fill this void. 

The material in this publication reflects accepted conservation principles and addresses the needs of those who are responsible for, as well as those who have a general interest, in the care and maintenance of older cemeteries. It is especially intended for those who own and operate cemeteries, both private and municipal, and for monument builders and contractors who repair grave markers. 

This guide has been written by specialists in the fields of heritage conservation, landscape architecture, and masonry conservation. This volume, Repairing Tombstones, provides technical and practical information that will be helpful in making decisions about conserving tombstones.”

  • Landscapes of Memories : A Guide for Conserving Historic Cemeteries, Repairing Tombstones, compiled and edited by Tamara Anson-Cartwright

I came across this book on Facebook, in one of the Cemetery Repair and Preservation groups I am a part of. Someone had posted some questions about grave preservation techniques, and another group member had responded with a link to this book. You never know where you will come across great resources. 

The version I have is an updated edition PDF that was published in 2003. It’s available to read online, for free. I was not able to find a print version, but I am sure it exists out there. 

Landscapes of Memories is broken down into four chapters that go into great detail about materials used for gravestones and how to clean them. It also has step-by-step procedures to guide you through some of the basic gravestone repairs you might come across in the cemetery. There is a smattering of lovely black-and-white photos throughout the guide, as well as helpful illustrations. Even though it has a short page count, it packs a lot of information. Along with an extensive appendix, you will also find some relevant sections of the Ontario Cemeteries Act, a glossary of cemetery and masonry terms, and an ample bibliography.

As someone new to gravestone repair and cleaning, and having not attempted it yet myself, I found this guide to be very easy to follow and understand. It has great information on why certain materials should be cleaned a certain way and what the best practices are. Gravestone cleaning and repair are meant to help preserve cemeteries after all, not cause more damage. 

I think anyone who is thinking about cleaning and repairing gravestones should read this guide if they have not already. It’s a great primer to help get you started with basic repair and the do’s and don’t of gravestone cleaning.

I will note that some of the information in the appendices is now out of date, for example, the Cemeteries Act was repealed on July 1, 2012.1 This means that it is no longer in force, but it does still apply in some situations. It was essentially replaced by the Funeral, Burial, and Cremation Services Act.2 There is also no mention of the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO). Established in 2016, the BAO is the government-delegated authority responsible for distributing provisions under the Funeral, Burial, and Cremation Services Act.3

The issue of current content when it comes to regulations and regulating bodies is not a new one, and please don’t let that stop you from looking into this resource. I do hope they put out an updated version sooner, rather than later. Landscapes of Memories is a great starting point for those interested in learning more about repairing gravestones in Ontario. The information regarding cleaning is also valuable for those cleaning gravestones all over the world. Having a good understanding of the materials you are cleaning is crucial to do it properly, and to prevent further deterioration. 

Considering this is a free resource available online, I recommend every taphophile pick it up. There is a lot of great information here about the different stones and materials that have been used for gravestones over the years. So whether you are interested in gravestone material, how to properly clean a stone, or how to do some basic repair, this is a great guide to pick up. 

Thanks for reading! 

I am always on the hunt for cemetery-related book recommendations. Please feel free to share yours in the comments. If you are an author and have a cemetery-related book you would like me to review, please reach out at hello@chantallarochelle.ca. I would love to hear from you.

References:

  1. Cemeteries Act (Revised), R.S.O. 1990, c. C.4 | Ontario.ca
  2. Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 33 – Bill 209 | Ontario.ca
  3. About The BAO | Bereavement Authority of Ontario