Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery (French: Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, pronounced ) is a very large cemetery covering 139 hectares, or 340 acres. It is found in the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce area of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The cemetery was started in 1854 and is located along Côte-des-Neiges Road and near the slopes of Mount Royal.

This cemetery is the largest in all of Canada when it comes to the number of people buried there. It is also the third-largest cemetery in all of North America. Many people have been laid to rest in this peaceful place over the years, making it an important part of Montreal's history.

History and description

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery was created when a piece of land was bought from Dr. Pierre Beaubien. It was built because the old Saint-Antoine Cemetery near present-day Dorchester Square was too small for Montreal’s growing population. The cemetery opened in 1854 and was designed to look like gardens in France. The first person buried there was Jane Gilroy McCready, who was 35 years old.

Today, Notre Dame des Neiges is the largest cemetery in Canada. It has over 55 kilometres of paths and more than one million people buried there. Many different groups of people are represented, showing their traditions on their gravestones. Nearby are other cemeteries, including the Mount Royal Cemetery, Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery, and Temple Emanu-El Cemetery. The cemetery was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1998.

Because the cemetery is so big, finding a specific grave can be hard. To help, the cemetery now has a computer system that lets visitors find graves easily, either by using a touch screen at the cemetery or online.

War graves

There is a special area in the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery where soldiers who served in World War I and World War II are buried. This area connects to another cemetery nearby, showing that soldiers from different backgrounds fought together. There are special plaques and a cross to honor those who served their country. Some soldiers are remembered on a memorial in Pointe-Claire because their graves could not be kept up anymore.

New mausoleums

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery has many special buildings called mausoleums. Each mausoleum has many places to honor people who have passed away, called crypts, and special sections for holding urns called columbaria. The first mausoleum, named Notre Dame for the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built in 1978. Over the years, more were added: John-Paul II in 1980, Saint-Francis in 1982, Marguerite-Bourgeoys in 1983, The Pietà in 1985, Saints Peter and Paul in 1989, Sainte Clare of Assisi in 1994, a two-storey building for Saint Marguerite d’Youville in 1996, and the latest one, Esther-Blondin, in 2007.

The Esther Blondin Mausoleum opened in November 2007. It is named after the founder of the Sisters of Saint Anne and has space for 6,000 crypts and niches.

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery is a large burial ground in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1854 and covers a wide area of 139 hectares, or 340 acres. The cemetery is the largest in Canada and one of the biggest in North America. It is located near Mount Royal and along Côte-des-Neiges Road.

Notable interments

See also: Category:Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery

This cemetery is the resting place for many important people from Montreal and Canada, including former mayors of the city and well-known figures in various fields.

It includes people like René Angélil, the manager and husband of famous Canadian singer Céline Dion, and William H. Atherton, a writer and historian. Other notable individuals buried here are Raoul Barré, a cartoonist, and Jean-Louis Beaudry, an entrepreneur and politician.

The cemetery also holds the remains of prominent politicians, artists, athletes, and leaders who helped shape Montreal and Canada.