The Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery was officially consecrated in 1891 in its present location on the corner of West Saanich Road and Mills Road in North Saanich, British Columbia. Since then, it has continuously served as the final resting place for the residents of Sidney and the surrounding area. It presently serves the Anglican parishes of Holy Trinity in North Saanich and St-Andrew’s in Sidney and is governed by an independent Cemetery Board with representation from both parishes.
The cemetery’s first settler occupant was George Mills, one of the earliest pioneers of European descent in the area and a founding benefactor of Holy Trinity Church, which is situated on the cemetery grounds. The remains of many other well-known settlers are interred here and are commemorated by Victorian style headstones and markers and in the naming of prominent areas and roads in the area. There are also the remains of many veterans who served in overseas conflicts. Besides what is found in the written records, anecdotal accounts suggest that the youngest occupants are the remains on unborn and newborn unbaptized children in a part of the cemetery that has since remained untouched.
The location of the original open stable which sheltered parishioner’s horse drawn wagons is now a garden area located on the northeast corner. As the parishes of both Holy Trinity and St-Andrew’s grew, the cemetery was expanded to its present size of 0.8 acre. In order to maximize the remaining space, at some point the decision was made to exclude all future full casket burials and to convert all of the remaining burial plots into interment plots for cremated remains. Today, there are over 1700 occupied burial and interment plots. The Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery is listed as a federally registered Canadian heritage property. More information can be obtained through the Historic Places in Canada.
