Dead Canadians Cemetery Podcast: Carved in Stone

Victoria Day marks the start of summer—but its story is written in more places than you might expect. This episode explores Queen Victoria’s influence in Canada, and how it can still be seen in the landscapes around us.

* Recorded on location of Canada Bay * In 1840, 58 rebels from the Lower Canada Rebellion were sent into exile—16,000 kilometres from home—to a penal colony in Australia. They weren’t hardened criminals. They were farmers, tradesmen, and community leaders who had taken part in the Rebellions of 1837–1838. Today, their story is preserved in the geography of Sydney, Australia. Places like Canada Bay...

Note: This video was researched and recorded before the recent escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including the joint United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran that began in late February 2026 and the subsequent broader conflict that has continued into March 2026. _______________________________________ More than a century ago, soldiers from across the British Empire were burie...

Jean Wilson (speed skating) and Barbara Ann Scott (figure skating) didn’t just win medals — they shifted culture. At the 1932 Winter Olympics, Jean Wilson helped prove Canadian women could compete internationally, even before women’s sport was fully recognized. Sixteen years later, Barbara Ann Scott’s Olympic gold in 1948 gave a post-war country something it deeply needed: joy. From Mount Hope Cem...

Exploring the Islington Burial Ground: A Journey Through Toronto's Forgotten HistoryThis episode delves into the history of the Islington Burial Ground in Etobicoke, Toronto. Established in the 1830s, this small cemetery is often overlooked amidst the busy city life. The episode covers its origins, the Mississaugas of the Credit’s connection to the land, and its evolution through the centuries...

It’s a melody that sounds peaceful and gentle, but it was born in a world of upheaval, epidemics, and war. In this episode of Dead Canadians: Carved in Stone, Stephanie Allen uncovers the history and the mystery of the Huron Carol. We trace the life of Jean de Brébeuf—a French Jesuit who arrived in the 1620s with a sincere admiration for the Wendat people, but a mission that would ultimately contr...

We explore the life and death of a forgotten Canadian hero. He survived the horrors of WWI only to die in a freak accident in his Toronto home. Captain George Fraser Kerr, VC, MM & Bar was one of Canada’s most decorated soldiers of the First World War—yet his story remains remarkably under-told. Born in Deseronto, Ontario in 1895, his early life was unremarkable on paper. But in September 1914...

The Pioneer Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the Tillsonburg area. The cemetery was established in 1838 and closed in 1870. Many of Tillsonburg's earliest settlers, including members of the Tillson family, are buried there. Join Dead Canadians researcher and museum professional Stephanie Allen as she visits this pioneer cemetery which has had a total restoration of the one-acre site...

Join Dead Canadians researcher and museum professional, Stephanie Allen, as she explores this abandoned pioneer cemetery in Norval, Ontario. There are no grave markers remaining as many were removed to a nearby cemetery. Oral traditions suggest there are the unmarked graves of cholera victims from the 1854 epidemic which swept through the area. Further oral tradition suggests this was an Indigenou...

This Canada Day Stephanie and Jocelyn explore the final resting place of the artists who created some of the most iconic images of Canada: the Group of Seven. Discover the graves of AJ Casson, Lawren Harris, AY Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, Franz Johnston on the grounds of the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario. An art gallery is an unusual location for a cemetery but...

The picturesque cemetery in Boston Mills (Caledon) Ontario has some fascinating stories starting with the first burial, to the incorporation of an old school house to the wee ghosts who are said to play games of hide-and-seek amongst the headstones. Join us as we investigate Canadian cemeteries and discover what lies beneath. Carved in Stone: the Canadian Cemetery Podcast.

Join Dead Canadians researcher, Stephanie, as she explores Springcreek Cemetery in Clarkson, Ontario, Canada. Springcreek is arguably the oldest cemetery in Mississauga. Come join us as we walk through the historic stones, look at archival photographs and reveal the history of the land. http://deadcanadians.ca/springcreek-c... Host: Stephanie Allen