About CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project
When is the next update?
To be notified when the site is next updated subscribe to our updates blog or follow us on Facebook. Announcements are made each time the site is updated.
Is the site free to use?
Entirely. No part of CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project requires visitors to pay or register to view our website. Take note of our site design and colour scheme - once they change you have left our project.
What is the purpose of this project?
This project is meant to be a directory of known Canadian cemeteries, their names, locations, histories and where research materials can be located. For genealogists and family history buffs a cemetery, besides being a lasting memorial, is a valuable research tool offering a treasure trove of family history information. We aim to help by bringing as much information to this project as possible so anyone anywhere can access the Canadian cemetery they seek.
Response Time
We strive to respond to all messages within a reasonable amount of time. Please keep in mind that everyone involved in this project is a volunteer, including those who maintain the website.
As volunteers there is no salary nor specified work hours/days. We work on the project during our free time just as you visit this website during yours. This may mean there is a delay in replying to e-mails, adding information, or getting a cemetery photographed. A delay doesn't mean you're being ignored or that work isn't being done, it means we're busy elsewhere and when time permits will fulfill our volunteer duties.
Please be patient when contacting us and give us a chance to answer your first message before sending a second. Sending multiple requests does not get your messages answered faster. If anything it will take longer as you've added unneccesarily to the number of messages that need to be addressed. Please wait a minimum of seven days for a reply (a bit longer during the summer months & holiday season). If you've not heard back after eight days, a second message would be welcome.
Can you send me information / a photo by e-mail?
No. If what you seek is available it will be on the website where you can access it yourself. Some cemeteries have lookup volunteers willing to visit and send photos via private e-mail, please contact them directly. Project coordinators cannot do this on your behalf.
Why are you offering photos of cemeteries?
Photos allow those interested to view cemeteries & headstones they may be unable to visit in person. Photos can also preserve an image of a headstone for the future. Many stones degenerate over time and become unreadable. Others are vandalized or do not stand the test of time.
I want a photo removed, who do I ask?
Locate the photo in question and fill out the error form underneath the photo. It is not our intention to disrespect anyone by including a name or photo on our website and will honour valid requests for removal.
Submitting Information
I have information to add, where do I send it?
Please locate the cemetery and use the submission forms available on the cemetery page.
Can I submit a transcript?
If it's one you created yourself, yes please! Locate the cemetery and use the submission forms available on the cemetery page.
I have a photo of a missing stone
Send it in! Locate the cemetery and use the submission forms available on the cemetery page.
Can I submit a different photo for a headstone already photographed for this website?
If the photo you have is easier to read than the one currently online, yes please! Many headstones degrade making it difficult to read them. It's also a challenge to photograph some headstones and while volunteers do their best to take and submit the best photograph, it's not always possible. To submit your photo(s) please locate the cemetery and use the submission forms available on the cemetery page to ensure we add the photo to the correct cemetery.
Why do I have to locate the cemetery to submit or correct information?
With so many cemeteries sharing the same or similar names each cemetery has been assigned a unique ID code. The forms available on each cemetery page have the ID code embedded into the form and it ensures that submissions made from that cemetery page are added to that cemetery. It helps us out tremendously when there's no confusion about what information should be added where!
I have print photos, can I submit those?
Yes! If possible please scan or have them printed to CD and send digital copies. If you're unable to do so you can send the print photos however we cannot reimburse for the cost of shipping nor return the photos.
Do you have a mailing address?
Yes but it is only provided to those submitting materials by post. Volunteers who need a mailing address can request it from the coordinator they are corresponding with.
I submitted information about a cemetery, when will it appear?
As soon as possible (see response time)
When will my photos appear?
As soon as they're indexed. If you'd like to index your own photos, please see our indexing cemetery photos page.
Our Indexes
I found an error! Who do I contact?
Locate the cemetery and use the error forms available on the cemetery page. Please note that there are two error forms - one to correct information about the cemetery (found on the right menu of the cemetery page) and one to correct the cemetery name index (found by clicking on the name in question).
To request removal of a name or photo...
Underneath each photo is a correction form, please use that form to submit your removal request.
There is a name / photo missing from the index
1. Take note of the information located directly above the index. There should be a notation indicating whether "some headstones" or "every headstone" are included in the index.
"Some headstones" will of course mean that not every headstone is included in the index and the one missing is among those not included.
If the notation indicates "every headstone" was photographed:
- Look at the date the photographer visited, if the name in question was added after that date it won't be in the index
- Not all burials have headstones, if a stone isn't available it may not be included in the index
- Is the stone hidden? If the cemetery was visited in winter or if the cemetery is in a flood zone it's possible the stone wasn't visible at the time of the visit. The same goes for foliage and bushes - many times bushes & trees grow around a stone obscuring it from view
- Oversights happen. Most cemeteries are not laid out in easy to follow rows and it's quite easy to get turned around and miss a stone or two.
2. Not all entries have photos. If the area underneath the name is blank, there is no photo. If you see a graphic like this: 
it means there should be a photo but there's an error preventing it from appearing (if you see this graphic please use the error form below the graphic to report it so we can fix it).
A name is missing from the index
We're happy to include missing names if you are 100% certain that person was buried in the cemetery in question. We're also happy to include a headstone photo if you can provide one. To let us know of a missing name locate the cemetery and use the submission forms available on the cemetery page.
A stone was not photographed, can you add it?
At this time we cannot fulfill requests for photos of specific stones. Please check the 'genealogy resources' part of the cemetery page, if a lookup volunteer is available they may be able to fulfill your request.
How can I find a living person if they're not indexed?
You can still search by surname or cemetery, also by spouse if their spouse is deceased and named on the same stone. Though presumably considering this is a cemetery project your objective would be to find deceased persons, not living!
A name was in the index but it's not their stone
If a parent or spouse is named on a stone their name will be included in the index and linked to that stone. If this is the case it will be stated next to the name.
spouse = A person has been named as husband, wife, widower, widow or relict on a stone
parent = A person has been named as father or mother on a stone
child of = A person has been named as a son or daughter on a stone
A name appears in an index more than once
Our indexes are created from submitted materials and meant to lead you to every photo/transcript where a person is named. If a person listed more than once it means the person is either named on more than one headstone or there is more than one photograph available. Women are also indexed under both their married and maiden names if both are available.
An age or birth year is off by a year
Some ages and birth years are estimates based on the information provided on the stone. Some stones have a year of death and age but no birth year, in that case the birth year would be calculated by subtracting age from the death year. Some ages have been calculated by subtracting birth year from death year.
Cemetery Questions
Please tell me more about ___ cemetery
ALL information we currently have on each cemetery is on the website, we're not hiding or holding back anything. As new information comes in it too is added to the website. If the information you seek is not yet on the website we don't have it.
I can't find the cemetery I want
There are two possible answers:
1. We don't yet have the cemetery in question in our database. While we do have over 18,000 known Canadian cemeteries we don't have them all. You can help by letting us know about this cemetery, to do so visit the province/territory page (see the top menu above for links) and use the 'Add a cemetery' form.
2. The cemetery you seek isn't under the name you think. Instead of looking for the cemetery name, try browsing the list of cemeteries in the locality where the cemetery is located.
Why do some cemeteries have more than one name? e.g. "Graham / McTaggart Cemetery"
Where you see a / in a cemetery name it indicates a cemetery has (or had) more than one known name. The first name shown is the current or official name (e.g. Graham), any others that follow are local or past names. Our search feature is set up to search just the cemetery name field so we include all known names of a cemetery in this field to increase the odds you will be able to locate the cemetery under any name it may have.
I have a question about a cemetery, who do I ask?
We do not represent any of the cemeteries listed here. If you have a question about purchasing a plot or a question that can only be answered by those who maintain the cemetery please contact them directly as we cannot forward the message for you. If contact information is not on our website please utilize canada411.ca
If your question is in regards to information posted on this website, locate the cemetery and fill out the 'ask a question' form available on that page.
Are you going to photograph ___ cemetery?
We do not assign cemeteries nor decide when one will be photographed. That choice is left entirely up to volunteers, what they wish to photograph, and when they have time to tackle the project.
If the cemetery you're seeking is not yet photographed (or not yet in progress) consider either a) volunteering to do it yourself, or b) volunteering to photograph a cemetery near you (there are international projects if you live outside Canada). The help you provide may encourage someone else to step up and volunteer.
Why wasn't ___ cemetery fully photographed?
Each photograph submitted is done so voluntarily and taken at the discretion of the photographer. Some photographers are able to photograph entire cemeteries while others photograph as much as they can or submit photos that are personal to their research.
There are photos / index / transcript of ___ cemetery elsewhere on the web
We welcome links to other websites that provide cemetery information. Locate the cemetery in question and use the 'add a link' form.
Photo Permissions
Personal research
Photos can be used in personal research and as part of an Ancestry tree provided they are used AS IS without removing any copyright tags that may be present. Please be sure to credit the photographer when citing the source.
Linking
Links to this cemetery project, to a cemetery page or photo page are welcome. Links directly to the photo itself are not.
Use on other websites
Please allow photographers to choose where & when to post their photos (don't presume on their behalf). Requests to copy will not be forwarded.
Unfortunately there have been a few instances where entire cemeteries were copied to other websites without the permission of the photographer. Please respect the work that has gone into making these photos available for your use. Copy only what you need for your personal research, respect the photographers, and if you wish to share, share our address instead (http://cemetery.canadagenweb.org).
Genealogy Help
Genealogy Assistance
Coordinators do not have additional burial information and are not able to assist in researching a specific person. Everything we know about a cemetery is posted here on the website for everyone to view.
There are volunteers who have made lookup offers for specific cemeteries. If one is available it will be posted with the cemetery it's being offered for (search for the cemetery, then look under 'genealogy resources'). Please contact these volunteers directly, coordinators cannot do so for you.
If seeking general genealogy assistance please start at CanadaGenWeb and choose the Province/Territory where help is needed.
Finding someone buried in a cemetery
Using this website
If you know what cemetery they were buried in locate the cemetery in question. If burial information is known it will be on the cemetery page. Also take note of links offered under 'genealogy resources' and 'offline resources'.
If you don't know what cemetery, try searching our name indexes or go to the province/territory page and browse the cemeteries by locality.
Using other resources
Many genealogy societies in Canada have transcribed their local cemeteries and made the transcripts available for purchase or loan. If a transcript is known to exist for a cemetery it will be linked on this website on the cemetery page under 'genealogy resources'. To find a genealogy society start with CanadaGenWeb or Cyndi's List
