Victoria Memorial Square facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victoria Memorial Square
Victoria Memorial Square under renovation in 2009 with the monument to the War of 1812.
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Type	Public park
Location	Toronto, Ontario
Operated by	City of Toronto

Victoria Memorial Square is a special park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It used to be a cemetery, a place where people were buried. It was created way back in 1793. This made it the very first cemetery for European settlers in what is now Toronto.

The park is located near Fort York, an important historic site. It was first called St. John's Square. Today, you can find a monument there that remembers the War of 1812. This monument was made by a sculptor named Walter Seymour Allward and finished in 1902.

History of the Park

Early Beginnings (1793-1863)

The cemetery was started by Governor John Graves Simcoe. The very first person buried there was his baby daughter, Katherine, in 1794. For many years, until 1863, this place served as the military cemetery for Toronto. About 400 people were buried here. This included some people who died during the War of 1812.

When the small town of York became the City of Toronto in 1834, the city grew. New streets were added, and Victoria Square was one of four new public squares created.

From Cemetery to Park

By 1863, the cemetery was full. It was then closed and mostly left alone. Over the years, many gravestones were damaged or lost. Today, only 17 gravestones remain.

In the late 1800s, the area was turned into a public park. It has been a park ever since. Between 2009 and 2011, the park was updated and made new again. This project was led by local community groups and a city leader named Adam Vaughan. The park got new paths, lights, benches, trees, and even a playground.