View to Necropolis Cemetery, ca. 1880, James Esson photographer. (Baldwin Collection of Canadiana)
The Toronto Necropolis (Greek for “city of the dead”) opened on Winchester Street in Cabbagetown in 1850.
Between 1850 and 1899, 22,307 people were buried at the Necropolis.
Many famous — and infamous — individuals whose stories fuelled the headlines found their resting place in this non-sectarian cemetery.
The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society will host a presentation by true crime author and historian Lorna Poplak later this month.
The presentation will feature Poplak speaking about her book The Don: The Story of Toronto’s Infamous Jail.
In the heart of Toronto’s bustling city lies a story of a structure that once epitomized fear and punishment; the chilling yet fascinating history of the Don Jail.
C.P.R. station in Sudbury, 1884. From Pioneering on the C.P.R. by Florence Howey. (Canadian Transport Sourcebook)
Biscotasing was humming in the late 19th century. But the combination of money and liquor was combustible — and in 1885, it exploded into the Whiskeyville riot
Lorna was recently interviewed ahead of her presentation for the Kamloops Adult Learners Society on May 30.
You can read the full interview in this pdf.
Lorna presented to the North Toronto Historical Society in April 2023 and her talk was summarized in their Summer newsletter.
The article is excerpted here as a pdf .