If you don’t want to let summer pass by without enjoying the nice weather, there’s nothing better than a walk or hike. It will clear your head, provide exercise and boost your spirits during this difficult time. In this series, I’m exploring some of the city’s parks, streets, trails and… whatever. This week’s walk falls under that “whatever” category: historic Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Start: 3:05 pm, Wednesday, Yonge entrance (between St. Clair and Davisville)
I must walk by the Yonge entrance of Mount Pleasant Cemetery several times a year. But I’ve never entered its stately gates. Frankly, it always seemed like a morbid destination. After some suggestions on Twitter, I checked it out. It provides a restful, contemplative (if slightly repetitive) walk.
Accessibility
There are four vehicle entrances, all north of St. Clair and south of Davisville; on the east side of Yonge; on either side of Mount Pleasant, north of Moore; and from Moore, east of Mount Pleasant. There are also several pedestrian entrances: off Merton near Yonge, and from Bayview, north of Moore. If you don’t want to risk your life (how ironic) jaywalking across Mount Pleasant Road, there’s an underpass on the northernmost part, off of Merton. From the St. Clair subway stop, it’s about an eight minute walk, or the Mount Pleasant 74 bus will drop you off one minute from the Mount Pleasant entrance.
The main paths are smooth and paved, but wheelchair users might find it difficult accessing individual graves, especially if they’re far off the path. There are also four discreetly placed portable washrooms in the cemetery.
In April, the cemetery closed to the public because of reports that people weren’t physical distancing. Then it reopened with limited hours before Mother’s Day. Now it’s open from 8 am until 8 pm, which feels about right. It could become spooky at night, when you’d be tempted to reenact scenes from Night Of The Living Dead (“They’re coming to get you, Barbara!”) or the Thriller music video.
Currently, large gatherings are limited to 100 people or less, and physical distancing rules apply.
What you can see
Well, duh. It’s a cemetery. So there are tens of thousands of graves. It’s been around since 1876, so even a cursory look at the stones will give you a brief glimpse into Toronto history. In 2000, it earned a National Historic Site designation.
It’s hard to miss the plaque and tomb for William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s longest serving prime minister. The cemetery is also the resting place of noted Métis artist Cecil Youngfox. Both rest in the Yonge-Mount Pleasant half. Before you go it’s worth checking out the Notable Figure Search feature at finditatmpg.com.
Any visit to a cemetery will provide surprises. When I saw a nice-sized grave marked STRATAS, for a man named Argero Terezakis, I wondered: Hmm… could he be related to the operatic soprano Teresa? Sure enough, the tomb said Argero was the parent of Nicholas, Mary and Teresa.
On the other side of Mount Pleasant, I made a pilgrimage to the tomb of the legendary pianist Glenn Gould, who lived most of his later life in seclusion a few blocks away on St. Clair. Before setting out, I queued up his famous 1955 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations on my earphones. When I found the grave I was surprised at how humble the little stone was. His name and dates (1932-1982) are engraved within the outline of a grand piano. Below the name are notes from the opening aria of the Bach work he made his own. No flowers, no notes. It was heartbreaking.
That’s the thing about walking through a cemetery, I guess. You’re bound to think about the fleeting nature of life. Some tombs are massive – there’s a mausoleum to Timothy Eaton, founder of the Eaton’s department store – while others are modest. Everyone ends up in the same place.
If you get tired during your walk at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, there are many places to rest, including a gorgeous, colourful Garden of Remembrance in the Mount Pleasant/Bayview section. It comes complete with a little fountain.
And who knew that the cemetery houses one of the finest tree collections in North America. The very cool Arboretum Book shows just some of its offerings.
Who’s there?
Since I went in the middle of a weekday afternoon, I saw a few walkers, joggers and cyclists. I didn’t see any dogs, but they must be leashed and (of course) picked up after. There were some cars and maintenance trucks. The paths never felt crowded.
End: 4:45 pm, Yonge entrance
Since the pandemic is turning out to be a time of reflection and meditation for many of us, this walk could be a real consolation.
At one point I took a wrong turn and ended up in the vast ravine that, I soon discovered, is part of David Balfour Park. I hope to tackle that path soon – once I get over thinking about the ephemeral nature of life, that is.
See more Pandemic Walks here, here and here.
