A Visit to the Ross Bay Cemetery (Victoria)





The historical Ross Bay Cemetery opened in 1873. This cemetery is rich with history and many of the province's premiers are buried here, as well as some famous British Columbians (Emily Carr, James Douglas, Billy Barker and Robert Dunsmuir to name a few). The cemetery is 27.5 acres.

 The cemetery was named after Isabella Ross who bought the land in the 1850s, making her the first woman in what is now known as British Columbia to own land. 

 The Victorian style cemetery contains some very elaborate mausoleums and tall pillars from the early elite. 

 Although originally thought to be full, in the late 1990s the City of Victoria discovered approximately 270 unused plots. 

 Ross Bay cemetery is also the alleged site of satanic rituals in the book Michelle Remembers.

While in Victoria one weekend we decided to stop in at the Ross Bay Cemetery and visit the history of Victoria and British Columbia. I was in awe when we discovered the grave site of famous artist Emily Carr, though I was surprised it was so small. Apparently her original head stone was unmarked up until 1963. 

 

   

 

Comments

Gillian said…
Such an amazing place to visit. Thanks for sharing this.
April 12, 2013 at 9:40 PM
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