John Parkinson
Plot M, Section 23, Lot 11
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
At the time of Parkinson’s death on March 6, 1928, he had the distinction of being the oldest jeweller in the city having been in business for 67 years, 60 of those in a shop on lower Yonge Street. Parkinson was a staunch friend and financial backer of world champion sculler, Ned Hanlan. He was also a founding member of the old Toronto Yacht Club which, thanks to a proclamation signed by Queen Victoria, was renamed the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in 1854. In addition, he helped organize the Queen City Yacht Club. Also in this plot is his father, Albert, who came to the city from Watertown, New York and at one time owned most of what is now Centre Island. The Parkinson family operated a very popular hotel on the island for many years. To get them there, Albert Parkinson built the first ferry boat, a horse-driven affair, to operate on Toronto Bay.
Mike Filey
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide
Second Edition Revised and Expanded