Nanaimo Cemetery Tour

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Monday, June 27th, 2011
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Nanaimo has seen its fair share of burials over time and some of the details are long gone, along with any remains. The Pioneer Cemetery Park, at the corner of Wallace St and Comox Rd., was our first public cemetery. It is now a park and displays the headstones relocated from their previous burial locations. There are no comprehensive records for this Nanaimo cemetery. According to the remaining headstones, the oldest person buried there was 27 years old. By 1875 the Pioneer Cemetery was full.

So in 1877 the city accepted land from the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company, given under the deed of gift, for use as a new cemetery. It was at the time outside the city limits on the south side of Comox Rd. Four members of the Dunsmuir family are buried there along with notable members of Nanaimo�s past. These include Pete Maffeo, William Sloan, John Parkin and Frederick Row bottom. In 1904 the cemetery was extended again to Comox Rd. through the purchase of an adjacent property. This cemetery remains in active use today.

Meet at the Howard Street entrance of the Nanaimo Cemetery. Pre-registration and payment is required. Registration is limited, so please contact Bobbi Williamson at the Nanaimo Museum 250.753.1821 or email [email protected]