I’m going to start by telling you that I’ve been telling my husband for years how much I’d like to visit this cemetery again. He didn’t understand (more to the point, he probably thought I was a bit daft) until he went there with me. It’s a special place and it’s a nice place to go for a walk and enjoy nature in a very park-like setting. I don’t have any real desire to be buried but, if I could, I would want to be buried here.
Things of note:
- There is parking along the some of the streets that surround the cemetery as well as a decent (about 15 spaces?) row of parking right across the street at the breakwater on Dallas Road.
- There are paved, maintained walkways through cemetery. When we were there some of the paths were a bit cluttered with fallen leaves, but there was ground staff there that were working on keeping things clear.
- There are park benches around the grounds where you can sit and rest if you need to (or if you just want to enjoy the beautiful scenery).
- There are some Canadians who are important to history buried here. If you wish to find the grave of a specific person, you can visit the website here: https://www.oldcem.bc.ca/cem_rb.htm
- To visit many of the graves you have to get off the path and walk over the lawn. Some of it is very uneven and narrow in a way that would not be suitable for wheelchairs, walkers, or some other mobility devices.
I love this place because it holds childhood memories of living in Victoria, but mostly because it’s a serene, gorgeous spot to walk or rest. There are many different kinds of headstones and monuments, a variety of trees that are quite gorgeous and, if you’re lucky, you might see some deer. We saw 7 deer in the space of about 45 minutes. Of course, docile as they may seem, deer are still wild animals so we always respect their space and give them a wide berth.
I like the idea of a lovely deer with big velvety antlers sunbathing on my grave.
Here is a very important memorial. We should not forget the mistakes we have made, lest we make them again.
One of the people that I greatly admire is Emily Carr. Her books came to me at a time in my life when I needed them and, since then, I keep bumping into experiences that remind me of her in ways that make me feel connected to her. Clearly, I’m not the only one. Emily has influenced people with her brazen ability to simply be herself. She was a wonder and I’m glad to have been able to know her through her works.
If you’re looking for a quiet place to exist for a little while, Ross Bay Cemetery is a wonderful choice to do just that.