The Forgotten Dead Beneath Victoria Memorial Square
By Stephanie Allen

Just blocks from Toronto’s bustling waterfront, there’s a quiet patch of green—tucked between Bathurst and Wellington, where dogs run, children play, and thousands pass by without a second thought. To most, it’s just another city park.

But beneath that lawn lies the final resting place of some of Canada’s earliest soldiers—British regulars, veterans of the War of 1812, and even the young daughter of a colonial governor. This was once the Garrison Burying Ground: the first cemetery in the Town of York.

Victoria Memorial Square is many things. A park. A monument. A forgotten archive. And its story is one of war, colonization, loss, and the strange ways we remember—or erase—the dead.

York’s Beginnings and the Birth of a Cemetery
Toronto began its colonial life as York, founded in 1793 by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, who envisioned it as the new capital of Upper Canada. Strategically located on Lake Ontario, York was to be a well-planned town anchored by a military garrison—Fort York.

Outside the fort’s palisades, Simcoe set aside land for a burial ground. It was one of the town’s very first civic institutions: the Garrison Burying Ground. Interestingly, the cemetery was laid out diagonally—aligned to magnetic north—unlike the grid of surrounding streets. That orientation is still visible in today’s park footprint.

Whose Land Was It?
Before York, this land was home to the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Wendat (Huron), the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabeg.

York, and indeed most of southern Ontario, rests on land acquired through the Toronto Purchase (Treaty 13)—a contested agreement first attempted in 1787 and formalized in 1805. The Mississaugas were pressured into surrendering over 250,000 acres of land to the British Crown for a modest sum. The validity of this purchase was disputed for over two centuries and wasn’t settled until 2010.

Despite these unresolved land claims, the colonial government forged ahead, laying out roads, building Fort York—and establishing a cemetery.

A Heartbreaking First Burial
The Garrison Cemetery’s first known burial was tragically personal to Simcoe himself. On April 19, 1794, his 15-month-old daughter, Katherine Simcoe, died while the family was living at their country home, Castle Frank.

Katherine Simcoe was born in Upper Canada, not England, as often misstated, her death devastated her parents. Her mother, Elizabeth Simcoe, recorded her grief in a diary and described her daughter’s burial on a hill near the fort. Katherine’s grave was once marked with a small stone—but that marker is now lost. Her name remains one of the only individual burials still remembered today.

The War of 1812 Reaches York
On April 27, 1813, during the War of 1812, the Town of York was attacked. American troops landed west of the fort and overwhelmed the defenders. The British, under Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe, ultimately blew up their own magazine to prevent its capture—a move that killed dozens on both sides.

The Battle of York was brief but destructive. The Americans occupied the town for several days, looting buildings and burning the Parliament.

Many British soldiers who died in the battle were interred at the Garrison Cemetery. Their names were rarely recorded. Their graves, unmarked, still lie beneath the turf of Victoria Memorial Square.

A Growing City Overgrows Its Cemetery
The original cemetery spanned about 1.5 acres, covering what is now the block bounded by Niagara, Portland, and Wellington Streets. Its diagonal layout made it stand out as the surrounding street grid developed.

By the 1830s, plans to integrate the cemetery into a broader urban vision emerged. Victoria Square was intended to connect to nearby Clarence Square via a grand boulevard—Wellington Place. Though the full vision never materialized, the square was formalized as a public space.

From Cemetery to Park
By the early 1800s, the Garrison Burying Ground was already reaching capacity. After 1807, new burials shifted to St. James’ Churchyard, and by 1826, Toronto opened the Strangers’ Burying Ground to serve non-Anglican and poorer residents.

In 1863, the Garrison Cemetery was officially closed. Over the next two decades, it was converted into a public park. Many gravestones were removed or buried. Turf was laid down. Trees were planted. The headstones disappeared—but the dead remained.

Restoration and Rediscovery
By the 2000s, the park was in poor condition. In 2009, the City of Toronto launched a major restoration project, working with heritage consultants and archaeologists. Key elements included:

Restoration of the 1902 War of 1812 monument, designed by famed sculptor Walter Allward, who later designed the Vimy Ridge Memorial.

Installation of interpretive plaques and landscaped pathways.

Archaeological monitoring, which confirmed that many graves remain undisturbed below.

Contrary to popular myth, no remains were exhumed. The site was treated with sensitivity and remains an active burial ground in spirit, if not in law.

Victoria Memorial Square is owned by the City of Toronto and is part of the Fort York National Historic Site, though it is not federally protected as a standalone cemetery. It’s not under the care of Veterans Affairs Canada, despite its military significance.

How We Know What We Know
The story of Victoria Memorial Square has been pieced together through:

Elizabeth Simcoe’s diary, a candid and poignant glimpse into early York.

British military records from Fort York.

Early maps and surveys, many commissioned by Simcoe himself.

19th-century newspapers, which covered the park’s conversion.

Archaeological reports from the 2009–2011 restoration.

Like many early cemeteries, the lack of headstones and formal records makes research difficult. But each source adds another fragment to the puzzle, helping us remember those buried beneath our feet.

A Cemetery Hiding in Plain Sight
Victoria Memorial Square is more than just a park. It’s a cemetery, a memorial, —a place where the layers of history are still visible, if you know where to look.

So next time you’re near Niagara Street, pause for a moment. Read the plaque. Touch the old stone. Look around—and remember that the past is still with us. We’re walking on it.

Want to learn more about the forgotten cemeteries of Canada? Subscribe to the podcast, follow @DeadCanadians on Instagram, or visit deadcanadians.ca.

Timeline: Victoria Memorial Square Cemetery

Pre-1793 – Indigenous Stewardship
The land is home to Mississaugas of the Credit, Wendat (Huron), Haudenosaunee, and Anishinaabeg peoples.

Longstanding Indigenous use of the land predates British colonial presence.

• 1787 / 1805 – The Toronto Purchase (Treaty 13)
  1787: An initial land agreement is made between the British and the Mississaugas (later contested).
• 1805: Treaty 13 formalizes the Toronto Purchase, transferring over 250,000 acres of Indigenous land to the Crown.
• 2010: The longstanding land dispute is settled.

1793 – Founding of York
Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe establishes York (now Toronto) as the capital of Upper Canada.

Simcoe lays out a military garrison (Fort York) and reserves land for a burial ground just outside its walls—known as the Garrison Burying Ground.

April 19, 1794 – First Burial: Katherine Simcoe
Simcoe’s 15-month-old daughter, Katherine, dies and is buried in the new cemetery.

Her mother, Elizabeth Simcoe, writes about the burial in her diary.

Katherine becomes the cemetery’s first known interment.

April 27, 1813 – Battle of York (War of 1812)
American forces invade York.

British troops retreat, blowing up the fort’s magazine.

Many British and American casualties are buried in the Garrison Cemetery.

Most soldiers’ graves are unmarked and undocumented.

By 1807 – New Burials Shift Elsewhere
The Garrison Cemetery begins to run out of space.

Burials start shifting to St. James’ Churchyard.

1826 – Establishment of Strangers’ Burying Ground
Toronto opens a new cemetery on Yonge Street for non-Anglicans and the poor.

1830s – Urban Planning: Victoria Square
The cemetery site is integrated into a broader urban plan as Victoria Square, intended to connect with Clarence Square.

Cemetery’s diagonal orientation becomes embedded in city layout.

1863 – Cemetery Officially Closed
Garrison Burying Ground is formally closed to new burials.

1880s – Conversion to Public Park
Site is leveled, headstones removed or buried, and grass planted.

The space becomes a public park, and much of the cemetery’s history begins to fade from public memory.

1902 – War of 1812 Monument Installed
Sculptor Walter Allward (later of Vimy Ridge Memorial fame) designs and installs a stone monument in honour of the War of 1812 soldiers.

2009 – Restoration & Archaeology
The City of Toronto launches a major restoration project:

Restores the 1902 monument.

Adds interpretive signage and fencing.

Confirms presence of undisturbed graves through archaeological monitoring.

No bodies are moved; the project respects the site’s status as a burial ground.

Today
Victoria Memorial Square is a public park, a military cemetery, and a designated heritage site.

It remains under the City of Toronto’s ownership and is part of the Fort York National Historic Site.

Despite its military connections, the site is not protected by Veterans Affairs Canada.

References & Sources
Archaeological Services Inc. (2011). Victoria Memorial Square Park – Archaeological Monitoring Report. City of Toronto Archives.

Bates, E. (1914). Toronto: A Pictorial Record of the Early Days of the City. Toronto Public Library.

Careless, J.M.S. (1967). The Union of the Canadas: The Growth of Canadian Institutions 1841–1857. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart.

City of Toronto (2011). Victoria Memorial Square Park Restoration Plan. [Heritage Toronto backgrounder].

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (2010). Settlement Agreement – Toronto Purchase (Treaty 13). Government of Canada.

Design and Architecture (2002). The Work of Walter Allward. Toronto Public Art Commission.

Hitsman, J.M. (1965). The Incredible War of 1812: A Military History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Lemon, J. (1985). Toronto Since 1918: An Illustrated History. James Lorimer & Company.

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. (n.d.). Treaty Lands and Territory. https://mncfn.ca

Parks Canada (2003). Fort York National Historic Site Commemorative Integrity Statement.

Simcoe, Elizabeth. (1911). The Diary of Mrs. Simcoe, 1792–1796. Edited by J. Ross Robertson.