A Quick Early History of Pine Hills Cemetery in Scarborough, Toronto

Pine Hills Cemetery in Scarborough contains a large geographic footprint in the city and its origins lay in nearly a century ago with the growing needs of Toronto.

Plans for a new cemetery in southern Scarborough began in late 1927 when the Trustees of Toronto General Burial Grounds applied to establish a new burial ground in the east part of Toronto. The need came from the capacity issues of easterly located cemeteries. Both St. John’s Anglican Cemetery on Kingston Road and the Necropolis in the Don Valley were full or nearly full and Mount Pleasant Cemetery in central Toronto was too far from Scarborough.

The Trustees of Toronto General Burial Grounds, founded in 1826, were “a public service corporation, founded…to provide non-sectarian cemetery accommodation, and [give] service at cost, acting as trustees for the public and turning all profits back into the upkeep of the property.” They also also owned Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Prospect Cemetery, and the Necropolis Cemetery. The Toronto General Burial Grounds Trust is now Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries.

In response to the trustees’ deputation, The Board of Health subsequently approved a cemetery site at the intersection of Kennedy Road and St. Clair Avenue at Scarboro Junction in December 1927. The 125-acre plot was purchased from the Sun Life Assurance Company for $45,000. Historically, the land consisted of the southern three-quarters of lot 29 of Concession C of Scarboro Township as part of the old Bell estate. The 1860s Tremaine’s Map indicates there was also an inn on the property, which the Toronto Telegram identifies as the Blue Bell Tavern, operated by John Bell.

In April 1928, it was announced the new cemetery was to be called Pine Hills Cemetery. It was to be ready by August 1928 and was going to hold 240,000 interments that would “give Toronto sufficient grave accommodation for the next 40 years.” The trustees redeveloped 80-acres of the site with new fencing, “considerable” grading, seeding, planting, shrubs, and paving for roadways. The stream that ran through the property (today’s Taylor Massey Creek) was channelized and three artificial lakes were to be created.

Pine Hills Cemetery opened seemingly ahead of timeframes by late May 1928 at the northwest corner of Kennedy Road and St. Clair Avenue. Advertisements in the spring attracted patrons to act on their “burial needs” in Pine Hills, “a modern cemetery, a place of dignity, beauty and quiet restfulness.”

In July, the Telegram reported three interments in Pine Hills Cemetery. Sadly, one of these three – and likely one of earliest graves in the cemetery – was for 10-year-old Donald Thompson of 70 Kildonan Drive in July 192. The boy drowned in a lake playing with a friend. The funeral was well-attended.

Cover Photo: The Toronto Telegram, May 28, 1928