Regina Cemetery

Regina Cemetery
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Year established:	1882
Country:	Canada
Location:	Regina Saskatchewan
Coordinates:	50°27′52″N 104°36′37″W / 50.46444, -104.61028
Type:	Public
Size:	42.85 acres (173,400 m2)
Website:	Regina City Cemeteries

The Regina Cemetery, is a cemetery in Regina Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the city's oldest cemetery and was established in 1882.^[1]

History

No one knows for sure when Regina 's City Cemetery was set aside for use. The earliest tombstone dates from 1882 but at that time the cemetery, which is located on the north-west corner of Broad Street and Fourth Avenue , would have been many miles from the settlement of Regina , which at the time was centred where downtown Regina now stands. It is reported that the first burial at the City Cemetery took place in 1882, before the 1883 incorporation of the cemetery.

The centrepiece, literally, of the City Cemetery is the Soldiers' Plot. The Soldiers' Plot, also known as the Soldiers' Cemetery, sits in the middle of the 42.85-acre cemetery. The Soldiers' Plot came about due to the tireless work of Lieutenant Colonel James McAra, who was later to be mayor of Regina . McAra believed that no soldier should lie in obscurity. To this end, in 1920 he convinced City Council to set aside a plot of land for soldiers and helped to raise funds to build a cenotaph to serve as a focal point for the plot. Sir Reginald Bloomfield designed the Cross of Sacrifice, as the cenotaph is known. The monument was donated by the Imperial War Graves Commission. The plot is flanked by two field guns, which were captured from the German Army in World War I. Tombstones in this plot are arranged symmetrically and feature the name, rank, serial number, unit, age, and date of death of each soldier. The grounds around the Soldiers' Plot are immaculately landscaped and serve as one of the most impressive military burial grounds in Canada.^[1]

Location

Regina Cemetery is located at 4th Avenue and Broad Street in the city of Regina. Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. between October 1 and March 31 and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. between April 1 and September 30.