London, Ontario

Cemetery Visitors:  A visitor to the cemetery might wipe down the headstones of family members, but they might also tend to the flowers that are planted on the grave's topside. St. Peter's Cemetery. [2013]

Pelham, Ontario

Canadian Epitaphs:  The epitaph comes from the lips of a departed couple, his and hers: 'It took a lifetime. But we finally got here.' That could be written on almost any headstone (save the very young). Every life ends in the same place, and we all work so hard to get there. Pleasantview Memorial Gardens. [2013]

Stratford, Ontario

Liquid Refreshment in the Cemetery:  Memorializing icons may be part of either the ephemeral record (part of the contiguous zone) or the permanent record (part of the grave marker itself). Inebriants are most commonly among the temporary accoutrements that surround a grave, but here is an example of  a favorite beverage that will last as long as the tombstone, i.e., forever. Avondale Cemetery. [2013]

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Shabtis ~ Egyptian Revival?  Bert, Ernie, and Rubber Ducky: Are they meant to be helpers in the afterlife just as the shabtis were for ancient Egyptian royalty?  Bert may be there to cook oatmeal, Ernie to count sheep, and Rubber Ducky to help in the bathtub. Lundy's Lane Cemetery. [2013]

Source:

http://ninimakes.typepad.com/

(British Museum collection)

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Borrowing from Philosopher Poets ~ Mark Twain:  Although unattributed on this headstone, Mark Twain's advice inspires us all:  "Sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover." Even if Mark Twain didn't pen these words, the advice seems so perfect for a Canadian who must have known Lake Ontario well. Niagara Falls Cemetery. [2013[

Pelham, Ontario

Borrowing from Philosopher Poets ~ Robert Frost:  Poetry shows up on many a headstone, sometimes without attribution. Although Robert Frost's name is not inscribed under his words, almost everyone would recognize this line from "The Road Not Taken": ". . . and knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted I should ever come back." What do you make of the castle-and-moat emblem? Pleasantview Memorial Gardens. [2013]

London, Ontario

Professor Buried Here:  Here lies one of the world's experts on the biology of sand dunes (what's on his headstone?). The irony is that he taught at the University of Western Ontario (how far is that from the coast?). His magnum opus was published in 2009 (when did he die?). Something on his memorial ties him to his ancestral roots (what's encrypted above his name?). Mount Pleasant Cemetery. [2013]

Vaughan, Ontario

The Cemetery as a Praying Place:  Some souls go to church to pray. They hope those prayers carry over to the churchyard when they are buried. Every churchyard thereby becomes a garden of Gethsemene, and the prayer of Jesus becomes the prayer of the departed: "My father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as you will." The churchyard here was originally Primitive Methodist. Carrville United Church Cemetery. [2010]

The Days are Long
But the Years are Short

Wellington, Ontario

Color Comes with Spring:  Yes, the tulips are heralds of spring, but far more interesting is the whirligig flying high above the garden. Wouldn't you like to know the story behind that? Crown Cemetery Puslinch. [2013]

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Maple Leaf Iconography:  Does pop culture matter? Judging from what's on cemetery landscapes, the answer would be 'yes.' In many circumstances, it is more important than religion. Judge for yourself from this headstone: Bruce Springsteen Greatest Hits, Toronto Maple Leafs, and two classic cars. At the bottom: a cross. Niagara Falls Cemetery. [2013]

London, Ontario

Maple Leaf Iconography:  Don't think the maple leaf's iconic status originated with Canada's new national flag in 1965 or with a certain hockey team. On these soldiers' headstones from the Second World War, the maple leaf is used as a symbol of national honor. In fact, during the war, the Canadian Army Battle Flag carried a trefoil of maple leafs, no less no more than the three fleurs de lis or the three parts of the Union Jack. Mount Pleasant Cemetery. [2013]

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Maple Leaf Iconography:  Cemetery landscapes suggest that patriotism doesn't flag upon death. Many people, and not just veterans, make the national flag a permanent part of their memorial. They have it etched in granite. Just think: of all the icons that could have been chosen for this headstone, it was the maple leaf flag of Canada that won the lottery of choice. A more colorful version flies from poles, including those below in Canada's capital. Quick: What's Canada's capital? [2013]

East Gwillimbury, Ontario

Canadian Iconography:  Canadians are proud of nothing if not hockey, but lift your eyes to the heavens (as we all do when someone dies) and you will see something else that makes Canada Canada: a celebration in the sky, the aurora borealis, the Northern Lights. If you need evidence that the colorful sashes have become iconic, just look at one of Canada's commemorative coins (which also features an inuksuk). Queensville Cemetery. [2010]

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Canadian Iconography:  The common loon is the most iconic of Canada's birds. It has, in fact, become a symbol of the nation. More than 25 years ago, it was chosen as the signature design element for the One Dollar coin, now popularly called "the loonie." The scene on this headstone uses the loon motif to epitomize the deceased's homeland and to symbolize the family, an institution as timeless as the Canadian North itself. Niagara Falls Cemetery. [2013]

London, Ontario

Zoning Out ~ The Grave Marker:  Grave markers are either two-dimensional (flat markers) or three-dimensional (some variant of the one here). Our lives, however, are four-dimensional; they extend over time. Really, though, our lives are n-dimensional, and time is spent upping the value of the n. Then, an entire life must be reduced to a set of symbols that can capture only a few of those dimensions. Mount Pleasant Cemetery. [2013]

Pelham, Ontario

Markers of the Baha'i Diaspora:  The graves of Baha'is are usually easy to identify: many are marked with the religion's nonagram (9 = perfection and unity) and many carry a quote from their founder, Bahá'u'lláh. The name Yazdi tells you that this man's family is from Yazd in Iran. It was one of the main centers of the Baha'i faith. Several hundred thousand Bahai'is continue to live in Iran despite persecution. Pleasantview Memorial Gardens. [2013]

"In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love"
Bahá'u'lláh

Always In Our Hearts

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Maps on the Landscape:  It seems that Canadians take their national identities to the grave with them much more frequently than Americans. In fact, you can see how agglomerative tendencies shape the landscape of many burial places as people from particular nations, including Bulgaria, are grouped into their own neighborhoods. Occasionally, you're lucky enough to find a map. Niagara Falls Cemetery. [2013]

East Gwillimbury, Ontario

Poet-ery in the Cemet-ery:  Erato dwelleth here. "Erato who?" you say. The Muse Erato, the daughter of Mnemosyne, the mother of our memory. Mnemosyne dwelleth here. She touches every stone, but does not work alone. Sometimes, she uses her little princess of poetry to commemorate the eternal nature of love. Queensville Cemetery. [2010]

Eldorado, Ontario

Propinquity and the Bonds of Faith – United Church of Canada:  First generation churches were often built of logs, but the second generation was often built of brick. By locating graveyards within sight of the church, people kept the dead among the living. Little effort was required to visit the ancestors. [2002]