Halifax’s Mount Olivet Cemetery: The Historic Cemetery You Need to Visit

When recommending cemeteries to dark tourists and locals alike, typically The Old Burying Grounds and Fairview Lawn Cemetery are the first off the tongue as they feature some of the city’s most famous gravestones. Yet despite being home to victims of tragic events and even beloved hometown heroes, Mount Olivet Cemetery often gets left in the dark. Perhaps it’s because the cemetery isn’t on the typical tourist route or is simply overshadowed, however I’m here to share with you why Mount Olivet Cemetery is well worth the visit.

A History of Mount Olivet Cemetery

Cemeteries often overflow with history. Yet as we drive or walk by as part of our day to day lives, the dead become over looked. A part of a background landscape. But cemeteries often hold keys to local history, telling us much more than might meet the eye.

Founded in 1896, Mount Olivet Cemetery has operated for over a century and is still accepting new residents to this day. As a resting place for Roman Catholics, the majority of its plots contain caskets rather than more newly popular urns. More recently, a Cremation Garden as well as memorial plaque walls have been added.

Mostly famously, the Cemetery includes victims of the Titanic sinking and Halifax Explosion. Yet there are also buried here whose professions, genders, races, cultures, and socio-economic status vary. According to FindAGrave, a user based memorial website, there are more than 8,700 graves at Mount Olivet.

Now bordering busy streets like Mumford Road and Joseph Howe Drive, Mount Olivet would have been on the outskirts of the city when founded. It also neighboured a Botanical Garden, which was a popular destination for leisure in the first half of the 1800’s.

In recent years, signage at the Cemetery has been updated from a gothic black and white style to the more modern yellow and blue.

Before You Visit

Respect & Rules

A reminder for cemetery enthusiasts and newbies alike: A Cemetery is a Sacred Place. This means respect is crucial when visiting. Be kind and polite. Follow the rules below. If you’re up for it, even throw in an “excuse me” as you walk around graves. Take a few moments to remember that each stone represents someone’s life, a person who lived in and contributed to the same city you’re standing in now.

Map

Though there are no maps to be found at the Cemetery, I was able to track this one down online.

On the map below, you can see that the Cemetery is split into five major sections.

Here’s a chart summarizing the main characteristics of each section of the Cemetery:

• Section 1 – Some Halifax Explosion victims, many older headstones including those of nuns and religious figures.

• Section 2 – Many Halifax Explosion victims, mostly older stones with the exception of the Cremation Garden.

• Section 3 – Crucifix, Titanic graves, some Halifax Explosion victims, brook, largely older headstones.

• Sections 4 & 5 – A mix of old and newer stones, often with more space between the plots. Some rows are uneven or the ground has shifted.

The Cemetery does have a few hills, yet most of the walkways are paved or stone, with the exceptions of the dirt paths found in Sections 4 & 5. If you stick to the designated routes, the Cemetery is very accessible.

Visiting Mount Olivet Cemetery

I’ve divided this post not by cemetery sections, but by themes!

I’ll chronicle my visit by exploring:

• Religious Symbols
• Titanic Graves
• Halifax Explosion Headstones
• Veterans & Service Personnel
• Flora & Nature

Religious Symbols

As Mount Olivet is a Catholic cemetery, it’s no surprise that there are religious symbols just about everywhere your head turns.

Crucifix

At the center of the cemetery is the crucifix display. On an elevated plain, there are four sculptures. In the middle is Jesus, hanging on the crucifix. The other three are standing or kneeling, looking in his direction. The stairs up to the display are surrounded by a well manicured garden.

Mothers and Sisters

The Cemetery also includes many of the Mothers and Sisters from The Convent of Sacred Heart (now known as the Sacred Heart School of Halifax) . As an independently funded school, Sacred Heart focuses on Catholic values and education. Its roots can be traced back to France and is part of a network of 150 schools across the world.

Opened in 1849 by Sister Hardey, two years later the school moved to its current location on Spring Garden Road.

Many of the Mothers and Sisters from the school now rest at Mount Olivet.

• 

• 

Christogram

On top of many of the graves you will not only find a cross, but a symbol stamped onto it.

You’ll see in the photo below that this symbol appears to be made up of the letters “IHS”. IHS stands for Jesus’s name in Greek. The translation was anglicized to “Ihsus”. Many stones in cemeteries such as Mount Olivet feature this symbol, which is called a Christogram (meaning a “monogram of Christ”).

The Cross

The cross is arguably one of the most globally recognized symbols of Christianity. Many grave markers either have a cross on top of the stone or are cross shaped.

Due to the age of the cemetery and many of its stones, numerous crosses have fallen. The tops of headstone are usually found beside their other half.

Titanic Graves

Though the disastrous Titanic sinking did not happen in Nova Scotia, it rippled through both Halifax and its history.

An iceberg hit the hull, and hours later the ship was engulfed by the ocean. In the pitch black of the wee morning hours, people froze, drown, and sat waiting for help. On April 15th, 1912, the Titanic had officially sunk and became international news.

As one of the closest major ports to the unsinkable ship, boats brought the dead back to Halifax. Undertakers such as J.A. Snow helped identify and prepare bodies for their final resting places.

Bodies, when recovered, were assigned a number which can be seen on each headstone. Sadly, not all those lost were identified.

The Gravesite

Catholic victims were buried in Section 3 of Mount Olivet, where a sign directs visitors to the Titanic Grave Site.

The Cemetery has a specific area in Section 3 where the Titanic victims were laid to rest. A stone path leads visitors around the graves and an interpretative panel.

The panel shares a few details about Mount Olivet, a brief history on the Titanic sinking, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Those Identified

Though many of the gravestones have faded and difficult to read, organizations such as Encyclopedia Titania hold lists of Titanic victims buried at Mount Olivet.

One of the markers has two photographs added on a stake in front of the stone. According to the Titanic Society of Atlantic Canada, this is the grave of Henri Jaillet. Jaillet worked as the Head Pastry Chef on the Titanic.

Lebanese Victims Memorial

Another more recently added memorial can be found behind the Crucifix. In memory of those with Lebanese heritage who lost their lives in the sinking, a Lebanese Cedar tree was planted. The tree is on the right of the panel in the photo below.

Halifax Explosion Headstones

The Halifax Explosion devastated the city. With thousands dead or injured, many also became homeless. The explosion caused a tsunami and a winter storm was on the way after the collision on December 6th, 1917.

Halifax was a city in ruins.

A city that had hundreds to bury.

Over 300 Catholic victims of the Halifax Explosion were laid to rest between Mount Olivet and Holy Cross Cemeteries.

The gravestones of those lost are not secluded to one area of the Cemetery like the Titanic graves, but are spread out throughout the yard.

Yellow Poles

Graves of Halifax Explosion victims are marked with a yellow metal poles. I have spotted a pile of these rods at the edge of the Cemetery, suggesting that some of these markers have fallen or it’s unclear where they belong.

It is important to note as well that not all graves have markers such as headstones or crosses. From financial reasons to wear and tear, it is unfortunately common for cemeteries and grave yards to have unmarked plots.

In the photo below, yellow rod markers can be seen both beside headstones and unmarked plots. These rods make the graves of victims of the Halifax Explosion easier to spot.

Interpretative Panels

Multiple panels describing the Halifax Explosion disaster and its victims that now reside at Mount Olivet can be found throughout the Cemetery.

This panel can be found near the entrance of the Cemetery which describes a general history of the Halifax Explosion and the role of Mount Olivet Cemetery.

Vince Coleman

One of the city’s most famous locals is Vince Coleman. Vince was a train dispatcher. When he and his colleague Chief Clerk William Lovett heard that the ship’s fire was going to cause an explosion, they stayed at the train station at Pier 6 to warn an incoming train of the disaster. Afterwards, the two left to escape the explosion, however Coleman decided to return to warn others including incoming trains from Truro. Coleman and risked his life to stay and send further transmissions. He and William Lovett lost their lives in the Halifax Explosion, and Vince Coleman continues to be known as a Halifax hero. You can learn more about Vince’s life and legacy in this article by the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

Vince Coleman has a ferry named after him. The Halifax Explosion Heritage Minute also features Vince Coleman.

As Coleman was a Catholic, he was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery. His grave can be seen in the photo below.

Firemen on the SS Mont Blanc

Perhaps less well known than Vince Coleman, a group of firefighters tried to extinguish the flames on the SS Mont Blanc. Unfortunately they loss their lives in the process.

Those who passed include: William Paul Brunt, Michael George Maltus, John Spruin Sr., Frank Killeen, and Walter Hennesey. Their stories can be read on the above panel, each as touching as the last. Their stones can be found throughout Mount Olivet.

The Unidentified

A full list of those identified who passed away in the Halifax Explosion is available on the Nova Scotia Archives website.

Sadly, many of those who lost their lives in the tragedy were not identified. A memorial stands at the Cemetery to honour the unidentified Catholics.

Veterans & Service Personnel

As an East Coast Port, Halifax has had a large military presence for centuries.

Today, many of those individuals are part of the Navy. Yet throughout times of war, Halifax served as a station. As a final farewell to Canada for the soldiers and military personnel who risked their lives aboard.

Many of those who looked back at Halifax as they left for war would never see Canadian shores again.

Graves from both the First World War and the Second World War quickly catch the eye as many of these individuals are buried alongside each other. These graves are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The grave below belongs to a Private Edward McKeown, who passed away in 1939. From the symbol and description on the grave, we can determine that he was a member of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps.

Flora & Nature

Cemeteries by nature are a place of gloom and grieving. Yet they can also be places of growth. Of new beginnings.

I often find that some of the most beautiful flowers and biggest trees can be found in cemeteries.

Below I have included some of my favourite notes of nature found throughout Mount Olivet.

Conclusion

Mount Olivet Cemetery, as you may have been able to tell, is a regular haunt of mine.

I am enthralled by the grandness of the space, the headstones overreaching hills, the small pieces of nature that bring a smile to my face, and how hundreds of stories can rest in the same place.

There are many stones that I have not touched on here, yet each of those thousands represents a life and a story of its own.

Do you know a story associated with Mount Olivet or another cemetery? I would love to hear from you!

Perhaps you’ll have the chance to take a stroll through Mount Olivet sometime soon and find a stone that catches your eye, a story you can relate to, or even a memorial that stays with you.

Other posts that may peak your interest:

York Redoubt National Historic Site: Halifax’s Hidden Historic Fort

“Egyptian Mummies & Eternal Life” at the Museum of Natural History

Drums, Jewelry & Horns: Jamaican Maroons Inspired Art Exhibition

Have you been to Mount Olivet Cemetery?

What’s your favourite cemetery to visit?

Please feel free to share in the comments!