Ross Bay Cemetery, named for its unique ocean side location at Ross Bay, has been in continuous use since 1872 and is maintained and managed by the City of Victoria.
History
Ross Bay was named after Isabella Mainville Ross. Her husband, Charles Ross, a Hudson Bay Company chief trader, oversaw the building of Fort Victoria in 1843, but died soon after in 1844. In the 1850s, Isabella Ross, an Indigenous woman, was the first woman to be a registered landowner in British Columbia. She named her 99-acre property overlooking Ross Bay Fowl Bay Farm because of its abundant waterfowl. Unfortunately, the farm was not successful and Isabella gradually sold portions of the property to individual buyers.
The City of Victoria purchased the remote slope overlooking Ross Bay from Robert Burnaby for use as a cemetery in 1872. Isabella Ross died in 1885 at the age of 77 and was buried in an unmarked grave at Ross Bay Cemetery. In 1994, the Old Cemeteries Society installed an interpretive plaque at her grave site.
About the Cemetery
A fine example of a Victorian-era cemetery, Ross Bay Cemetery has been designated a Municipal Heritage Site. A number of prominent and well-known people are buried at Ross Bay Cemetery, including British Columbia's first governor, Sir James Douglas; artist Emily Carr; and the man famous for finding one of the earliest and largest strikes of the Cariboo Gold rush, Billy Barker.
Mature trees grace Ross Bay Cemetery. The widest range of pine trees in the Victoria area can be found here, as well as Spanish Fir, Rocky Mountain white fir and cork-bark elm. Japanese flowering cherries add a flourish of colour to the old monuments and grave art.
Memorial Entrance Gate Project
The Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria installed a memorial entrance gate at Ross Bay Cemetery to mark the cemetery's 150th anniversary in 2023. More information about the project is available here: Memorial Gate Project 2022 – Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria
Cemetery Tours
The Old Cemeteries Society conducts popular guided tours through the cemetery. From mid-February to mid-December, they offer Sunday tours with different topics. Most tours focus on Ross Bay Cemetery, though some are offered in different locations or online. They also offer tours to private or school groups. For more information or to book a tour, please visit the Old Cemeteries Society website.
Forms for Interment
The City allows full interments as well as interments of cremated remains at Ross Bay Cemetery. To learn more, please see below.