Our Origins

The story of Mount Pleasant Group began in the early 1800s, when Toronto was still the Town of York. At that time, only Anglicans and Roman Catholics could be buried in “authorized,” church-run cemeteries. In 1825, a small group of citizens of York came together and petitioned the Province of Upper Canada (as it then was) for permission to purchase land and create a “general burying ground, as well for strangers as for the inhabitants of the town of whatever section or denomination they may be.” The efforts of those citizens and provincial lawmakers of the day resulted in a special Act given Royal Assent on January 30, 1826.

That Act effectively created a statutory trust that authorized five individuals, known as Trustees, to purchase six acres of land in York “to have and to hold the same to, and for the use and purpose aforesaid in perpetuity for ever.” This commitment to maintaining its cemeteries for the perpetual benefit of Toronto-area residents and their loved ones remains at the heart of Mount Pleasant Group’s mandate. It is also now a concept that is embedded within Ontario’s Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, R.S.O. 2002 (FBCSA), the modern statute that regulates Ontario’s entire deathcare sector.

After the passage of the 1826 Act, the Trustees advanced $300 of their own money to purchase six acres of the John Elmsley farm at what is now the northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets in central Toronto; they subsequently sold subscriptions for $1 each to members of the public. The resulting cemetery became known as “Potter’s Field.” It was used as a non-sectarian burial ground for some 25 years, ensuring every family had a dignified place to lay loved ones to rest, regardless of faith.

As the city grew, so did the organization. In 1871, the province incorporated the Trustees of the Toronto General Burying Ground, which today is known as the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries (MPGC) and is governed by a Board of Directors.

Public pressure on government from the residents of Yorkville led to the closure of Potter’s Field in 1875. All the remains buried there were relocated to either the Toronto Necropolis in Riverdale or to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery that opened at its current location in Moore Park in 1876.

From those first six acres at Potter’s Field, today’s Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries has grown to 10 cemeteries across the GTA spanning 1,200 acres, housing some 16,000 trees, and providing perpetual rest to more than 700,000 decedents. Together with its funeral affiliate, Canadian Memorial Services (CMS), MPGC employs more than 600 people. Through every change, MPGC has sought to uphold and honour the mandate set out in those early pieces of legislation: to offer deathcare options to all and uphold its obligations to those interred within its cemeteries “in perpetuity for ever”.

Did you know?

MPGC has never received grants, funding or land from government.
MPGC is both a statutory trustee and a not-for-profit corporation that operates under strict provincial regulations for cemeteries in Ontario.
MPGC was the first cemetery operator in Ontario to create a Care and Maintenance Fund, some 60 plus years before it became a legal requirement to do so. Our Care and Maintenance Fund is currently valued at more than $700 million. The interest generated by that Fund ensures our cemeteries will be cared for in perpetuity without becoming a burden on Ontario taxpayers.
Canadian Memorial Services (CMS), an affiliated company of MPGC, provides funeral services at its nine funeral centres, six of which are co-located at MPGC cemeteries.

Almost 200 Years of Service

Mount Pleasant Group was established in 1826, which means we will mark our 200^th anniversary in 2026! Our sites were established as follows:

Potter’s Field: 1826 (closed in 1875)
Toronto Necropolis: 1850
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: 1876
Prospect Cemetery: 1890
Pine Hills Cemetery: 1928
York Cemetery: 1948
Beechwood Cemetery: 1965
Elgin Mills Cemetery: 1979
Meadowvale Cemetery: 1981
Thornton Cemetery: 1984
Duffin Meadows Cemetery: 1993
The Simple Alternative Toronto: 1994
The Simple Alternative Mississauga: 1996
The Simple Alternative Pickering: 2001