Canada’s Oldest Regular Cemetery: Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

February 17, 2014 By Brett in Art, History, Nova Scotia Tags: Annapolis Royal, Canada, Cemeteries, Fort Anne, Nova Scotia, Old Canadian Cemeteries, Photography, Tombstones, Vintage 22 Comments

Old Tombstones, Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

___

Canada’s oldest formal cemetery is Garrison Cemetery, which is situated adjacent to historic Fort Anne in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. While Garrison Cemetery is not as large as the nearly-as-old eighteenth-century burial grounds in Halifax, the setting — amidst the rolling hills of the Fort’s grounds and the sweeping Annapolis River close by — is especially picturesque. Given that Annapolis Royal served as both the capital of Acadia and later as the first capital of Nova Scotia, the well-worn tombstones on the cemetery grounds are quite old indeed, as attested by the protective marker frames in several of the pictures below from a trip last Fall. (Click any image to enlarge)

___

Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Fort Anne Grounds, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Grave Markers, Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Sunken Tombstones, Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Garrison Cemetery, Annapolis Royal, N.S.

Similar Posts:

• Halifax’s Beautiful Old Burying Ground

• Saint John’s Transcendent Old Loyalist Burial Grounds

St. Andrews By The Sea, New Brunswick

December 28, 2013 By Brett in Art, History, New Brunswick Tags: Canada, Cemeteries, Historic Canadian Towns, New Brunswick, Old Towns, Photography, Seaside, St. Andrews By The Sea 24 Comments

View Across the Bay, Celtic Cross Park, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

___

St. Andrews By the Sea is a historic town located in the southwestern corner of New Brunswick (about an hour west of Saint John) across the Passamaquoddy Bay from Maine. Established as a Loyalist bastion in the late eighteenth century, it is now a resort town featuring magnificent bay views and many well-preserved buildings showcasing early architectural styles. These photos are from a late Fall visit.

Colorful Chairs, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Cloudy Day on the Bay, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Fish Weather Vane, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Gravestone with Yellow Lichen, Loyalist Burying Ground, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Long-haired Cows on the way to St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Graveyard Gates, Loyalist Burying Ground, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Celtic Cross Park, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Lichen-Encrusted Gravestones, Loyalist Burying Ground, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Celtic Cross, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Sacred to the Memory Of . . . , Loyalist Burying Ground, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Fishing Boat, St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Rocky Hillside, Near St. Andrews By the Sea, N.B.

Saint John’s Transcendent Old Loyalist Burial Grounds

December 8, 2013 By Brett in Art, History, New Brunswick Tags: Canada, Cemeteries, Halifax Old Burying Ground, John, Loyalist Burial Ground, Memory, New Brunswick, Old Canadian Cemeteries, Parks, Photography, Saint, Tombstones 28 Comments

Weathered Tombstone, Old Loyalist Burial Grounds, Saint John, N.B.

___

Cemeteries are places of transcendent reverence, contemplation and connectedness. I’m particularly moved by final resting grounds that are situated in locations that cause them to be part of a people’s day-to-day lives. One of the best and most visually gorgeous of these is the very old Loyalist Burial Grounds in Saint John, New Brunswick, which, like Halifax’s Old Burying Ground, is in the heart of the city’s downtown core. These pictures from a recent trip on a brisk November morning makes clear that the majestic tombstones dating to as early as 1783 are very much a part of the urban environment built up around them. With its winding walkways, inviting benches and vast shade trees, the Loyalist Burial Grounds is as much a frequented park space as it is a place for memory and serves as a peaceful oasis amidst the surrounding hustle and bustle.