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Halifax (St. John's) Cemetery

  • Country Canada
  • Total identified casualties 81 Find these casualties
  • Region Nova Scotia
  • Identified casualties from First & Second World War
  • GPS Coordinates Latitude: 44.66241, Longitude: -63.62493

Location information

From the rotary, follow Dutch Village Road, and turn right at the Fairview overpass. St. John's Cemetery is the first right hand turn.

Visiting information

The cemetery grounds are open daily for visitation from sunrise to sunset. The on site cemetery office is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The office is for enquiries only.

History information

Halifax was the headquarters of No 6 Military District during the both wars.

In the First World War, the city had nine military hospitals with almost 1,500 beds. On the morning of 6 December 1917, a collision took place in the harbour between a Belgian relief ship and a French vessel loaded with ammunition, and in the resulting explosion, half a square mile of the city was destroyed and 1,500 lives were lost. Two hospitals were ruined, and one damaged.

During the Second World War, Halifax was heavily fortified and the Atlantic Command and Eastern Air Command of the Royal Canadian Air Force were established there. The harbour was the main port of embarkation for troops serving abroad.

Halifax (St John's) Cemetery contains 64 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 48 of which are in the Naval plot in Section Q. There are also eight Second World War burials.