Elmbank / Fifth Line Roman Catholic Cemetery
Location:
In 1981, within the confines of Pearson International Airport, Mississauga, Peel Region, Ontario, Canada.
Concession 5E Part Lot 8, Toronto Township.
Not open to public viewing.
History:
For a comprehensive history of Fifth Line Church and its people see From MacDONELL to McGUIGAN: the history of the growth of the Roman Catholic church in Upper Canada by Wm. Perkins Bull.
The Fifth Line Burial Ground was variously called “The Fifth Line”, “Elmbank”, “St. Bernard’s”, “St Patrick’s”, “St Peter’s”, “St Kevin’s”, and “The Sacred Heart of Jesus” church yard.
In 1837 Bernard and John McGuire gave 2 acres, part of lot 8, concession 5E, Toronto Township for the Fifth Line Church, graveyard and presbytery. Not the first burial, although the first recorded, is that of Charles Dougherty who died 1833 aged 17 years.
The rough, uneven surface slopes south east toward Moore’s Creek along which are a few old elm trees from which the churchyard took its name. There are upwards of 300 graves. More than half the land is still available and being used for burial purposes.
There is no caretaker. The cemetery is surrounded by a non-functioning wire fence put up by public subscription some ten years ago. Its monuments, headstones, markers, palings and railings, whether up, down or sideways, are in deplorable condition and are practically un-get-at-able because of thistles, burdocks and briars. Joseph Holley’s plot, alone, is well tended. The church was abandoned in 1915.
The Fifth Line graveyard was described by a parish priest as, “the worst graveyard ever seen.”
Thos Ingoldsby’s wife, Ann Moore, who is interred here died aged 92 years; also, others aged 96, 97 and 100.
The Malton 1,500-acre airport adjoins the Fifth Line burial ground on two sides.
The above history was extracted from Wm. Perkins Bull Collection that was recorded in 1939. Since that time, Pearson International Airport took over the land in the 1950’s. The cemetery was discovered by workers in the early 1960’s clearing away scrub brush which harboured birds – a danger to jets with their huge air intakes. The monuments that were still standing, were standing there in 1981. The cemetery is not open to the general public.
NOTE: Although it is not usually normal to publish all of the information on the monument (verse, etc.), this has been in this case because of the inaccessible location of the cemetery. The initials, “sm”, found in some of the entries, represent “stonemason”.
Further to the above history:
The Cemetery remained untouched until 1991 when the needs of the airport necessitated its consideration for re-location. After prayer and discernment, it was finally decided in 2000 to move the remains of the faithful and re-locate them in a distinct area of nearby Assumption Cemetery in Mississauga Ontario. On August 27, 2000, a final mass was celebrated at the old site. On Saturday July 10, 2004, the graves from the Elmbank Mission were re-dedicated at their new location in the nearby Assumption Catholic Cemetery at 6933 Tomken Road, Mississauga Ontario.
Archaeological Investigation of the Elmbank Church and Cemetery
An archaeological investigation of the Elmbank Church and Cemetery Former Lot 8 Concession 5 Toronto Township began February 2003, and the final report is now available to the public. Back in 2003 the project historian was the late J. Brian Gilchrist. This investigation was prepared by Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI) in Toronto. Included in this report is a history of Elmbank; a list of burials prepared by Brian revised June 2000 and a page about the re-interment, “In accordance with the terms of the closure order, all individual burials were re-interred separately, at Assumption Cemetery, Mississauga, with the dignity and the respect due to human remains.”
Introduction: “On behalf of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Archaeological Services Inc. was contracted by Acres International Limited to conduct an archaeological investigation of the remains of the Elmbank/Fifth Line Church and Cemetery, located on the east half of Lot 8, Concession 5, in the former Township of Toronto, Peel County. The church and cemetery were opened in 1832 and closed in 1933 and served as the resting place of many of the earliest Catholic settlers of the rural settlements to the northwest of Toronto.”
“The project also entailed extensive genealogical research, conducted by Mr. Brian Gilchrist, and the conservation of the monuments, which was completed under the direction of Ms. Susan Maltby. This report provides an account of all activities related to the project as well as complete listings of all documented material culture and catalogues of recovered artifacts.”
Transcription purchase:
Transcriptions of this cemetery are available for digital download from the OGS website – click here to order via credit card.