The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has a new cemetery project, and they’re looking for volunteers.
They hope to soon begin recording the grave markers, both indoors and outdoors, at the Westminster Cemetery in Toronto’s North York.
The branch will make the information available to researchers worldwide.
In the branch’s excellent September/October newsletter, Toronto Tree, they say this is a big project that will require several years of work and “lots of help.”
The Toronto Branch needs volunteers to take photos and transcribers to record the information on the markers. They also need a ground crew to locate outdoor markers that may be below the sod.
Westminster is a large cemetery that opened in 1923. It consists of both outdoor grave markers and several large multi-story mausoleum buildings.
The cemetery is located northwest of Bathurst Street and Finch Avenue, but set back a substantial distance from both streets and their bus routes — a brisk 15-minute walk. There is parking allowed within the cemetery. They plan to work on Saturday mornings from about 9:00 a.m. to noon. Over the winter they will be able to work indoors.
If interested in volunteering, contact the committee at torontocemeteries@ogs.on.ca.
