MOUNT OLIVET CATHOLIC CEMETERY

Established in1896, Mount Olivet was the third Catholic cemetery in Halifax.   It is now one of three cemeteries administered by the Catholic Cemeteries Commission.  The Land was originally part of the Archbishop’s Palace, an estate which included the summer residence for the archbishops of Halifax.  The estate also served as a retreat for the clergy and as a place for picnics for Catholic School children and parishioners.  The land directly across Dutch Village Road was once the site of the Downs Zoo and Botanical Gardens, a well-known retreat for Haligonians during the first half of the nineteenth century.  This cemetery is also the burial site of a large number of victims of the 1917 Explosion in Halifax Harbour.  Until the 1940’s this area was a rural suburb of Halifax.

TITANIC CONNECTION  - A Significant Part of the Nova Scotia’s Unique Marine Heritage

On April 10, 1912, the Titanic left on her maiden voyage with over 2200 passengers and crew members aboard.  Four days later, she struck an iceberg south of Newfoundland.  She sand in two hours 40 minutes.  Just over 700 survivors in lifeboats were rescued by the Carpathia and taken to New York. The White Star Line, which had offices located on Hollis Street in Halifax, commissioned four Canadian vessels to look for bodies in the area of the disaster.  Two of these vessels, the Mackay-Bennett and the Mini, were cable ships based in Halifax.  The four ships were able to recover 328 Titanic victims.  Many are buried at sea but 209 bodies were brought to Halifax, the closest major port to the area of the sinking.  Nineteen of the Titanic victims thought to be Catholic were buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Over the years, many relatives, friends and visitors have come to honour the memory of the Titanic victims buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery.

Voyages Remembered - Nova Scotia’s Marine Heritage