Reviews of Hardwood Hill Cemetery (Mortuary)

Ken Heaton

Hardwood Hill Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It opened in 1882 when eight acres of land were purchased from the Parish of St. George in Sydney. This land was part of the Glebe lands granted to the Parish by King George III. The Cemetery is spread over fourteen acres of land and has over 12,000 graves and burial plots. Those from many denominations are buried here: Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, and Catholic. It is still referred to as the “Church of England Cemetery” because of its early connection with St. George’s Church. Among the notable people interred in Hardwood Hill Cemetery are: Katherine McLennan – remembered for her devotion to Cape Breton heritage, her successful restoration plans for the Fortress of Louisbourg, her role in establishing the McConnell Regional Library in Sydney and her work as a nurse in France during World War I. She was made honourable curator of the Museum at Louisbourg and held that post for twenty years. Comedians “Hughie and Allen” – Hughie MacKenzie and Allan MacDougall gained fame by appearing on Canadian television; performing in 1955 on the People and Things” program, followed by the “Cape Breton Barn dance” the same year. They performed live, cut records, and appeared on comedy television until the early 1980s. A number of people of Chinese heritage are buried here, and in 1988, a red granite monument was erected commemorating the Chinese who died in Cape Breton. Hardwood Hill Cemetery contains the graves of paupers and industrialists, entertainers and victims of industrial accidents in the coal mines and the steel plant. It is a microcosm of Cape Breton’s multicultural history, and is a historic site.