FAQ

What is the purpose of this project?
CanadaGenWeb’s Cemetery Project is a free directory of known Canadian cemeteries, their names, locations, histories and where research materials can be located. Cemeteries, besides being a lasting memorial, are a valuable research tool for genealogists and family history buffs. We aim to help by bringing as much information about Canadian cemeteries to this project as possible.

Is this website free to use?
Entirely! No part of CanadaGenWeb’s Cemetery Project requires payment. Take note of our site design and colour scheme – once they change you have left our project.

Why are you offering photos of cemeteries?
Photos allow those interested to view cemeteries & headstones they may be unable to visit in person. Photos can also preserve an image of a headstone for the future. Many stones degenerate over time and become unreadable. Others are vandalized or do not stand the test of time.

When is the next update?
Announcements are made each time the site is updated. They are posted on this website, our updates blog, and can be received via email if you sign up for our newsletter.

Response Time
All contributors to this project, including those who manage the website, are volunteers. We dedicate our personal time to this work—just as you visit the site during yours. While we do our best to respond promptly, there may occasionally be delays in replying to emails, adding information, or arranging cemetery photography.

We kindly ask for your patience when reaching out. Please allow us time to respond to your initial message before following up; sending multiple requests will not result in a faster reply. We ask that you wait at least seven days for a response (possibly longer during the summer or holidays). If you haven’t heard back after eight days, a follow-up message is welcome.

I sent a message and didn’t get a response
If you sent your message within the past seven days, we kindly ask for your patience (see our response time guidelines above).

If it has been more than seven days, there are a couple of possibilities:

Your message may not have required a response. As volunteers, we must prioritize our limited free time to keep the site running. This means we may not reply to questions already answered on the website or to research requests and general queries (see the next section for more details).

Your message may not have been received. Occasionally, emails do go astray.

Can you send me information / a photo by email?
No, unfortunately we cannot assist with that. If the information you’re looking for is available, it will be posted on the website for you to access directly. Some cemeteries may have lookup volunteers who are willing to visit and share photos via private email—please reach out to them directly, as project coordinators are unable to make these requests on your behalf.

I want a photo removed, who do I ask?
Locate the photo in question and fill out the error form on the same page as the photo. It is not our intention to disrespect anyone and will honour valid requests for removal.

What happened to the Canadian Gravemarker Gallery?
The owner of the website chose to retire and graciously donated the photos to CanadaGenWeb’s Cemetery Project.

Home
Our front page. We utilize two URL’s –
https://cemetery.canadagenweb.org and
https://gravemarkers.ca

Search
You can search for a Canadian cemetery, or our index of persons buried in Canadian cemeteries.

Cemetery Pages
Each cemetery listed on our website has its own dedicated page, which includes all known information we have about that cemetery. If you have additional details to contribute, you’ll also find submission forms specific to that cemetery.

To access a cemetery page, simply use the search function, and click on the cemetery name in the results.

Name / Person / Photo Pages
Each name in our index has its own dedicated page—often referred to as a name page, person page, or photo page if a headstone photo is included. This page provides available information about the individual, any associated photos, and options to submit corrections or updates.

Volunteer
Here you can explore the available volunteer opportunities and learn what’s involved in each role. This project is entirely volunteer-driven, and we’re always in need of new volunteers—your help is both needed and warmly welcomed.

Announcements
Updates and announcements regarding the cemetery project are made available:
1. On the website
2. On our update blog
3. Via email if you’ve signed up for our newsletter

Map Project
We’re attempting to locate and map every known Canadian cemetery. Help is needed!

How do I find someone if I don’t know what cemetery they’re in?

Using this website:
Start with searching our name indexes.  If that yields no result search the cemeteries by locality and choose one in the area where you think the person in question was buried and take note of links offered under ‘genealogy resources’… 

Using other resources
Many genealogy societies in Canada have transcribed their local cemeteries and made the transcripts available for purchase or loan. If a transcript is known to exist for a cemetery it will be linked on this website on the cemetery page under ‘online resources’ or ‘offline resources’. To find a genealogy society start with CanadaGenWeb or Cyndi’s List. Death registrations and newspaper death notices are additional sources that may indicate place of burial.

I need to know more about [this] cemetery
All the information we currently have for each cemetery is available on the website. As new details are received, they are added promptly. If the information you’re looking for isn’t there yet, it means we don’t have it at this time. Please check back periodically for updates.

Where is [this] cemetery located?
If known, it will be indicated on the cemetery page.

I can’t find the cemetery I’m looking for
There are two possible reasons:

1. The cemetery may not yet be in our database. While we have records for over 21,000 Canadian cemeteries, our list is still growing and may not yet include every one.
2. The cemetery may not be listed under the name you’re expecting. Try searching by the locality (town, city, or region) where the cemetery is located instead of the cemetery name.

Why do some cemeteries have more than one name? (e.g., “Graham / McTaggart Cemetery”)
Over time, cemeteries are sometimes known by different names—official, local, or historical. Since all of these names are important, we include every version we’re aware of.

The first name listed is typically the current or official name (e.g., Graham), followed by any past or locally used names.

Including all known names increases the chances of finding the cemetery, no matter which name you’re searching for.

Are you going to photograph or transcribe [this] cemetery?
We don’t assign cemeteries or determine when one will be photographed. That decision is entirely up to our volunteers—based on their interests, availability, and location.

If the cemetery you’re looking for hasn’t been photographed yet, consider getting involved by either:
a) volunteering to photograph it yourself, or
b) choosing a cemetery near you to contribute to (international opportunities are available if you’re outside Canada).

Every bit of help makes a difference—and your effort might inspire someone else to volunteer too.

Why wasn’t [this] cemetery fully photographed?
All cemetery photographs are submitted voluntarily, based on the time, interests, and goals of each photographer. Some volunteers are able to photograph an entire cemetery, while others may capture only a portion—often focusing on specific areas or individuals related to their personal research.

How do I contact [this] cemetery?
If cemetery contact information is known, it will be on the cemetery page. Otherwise, we cannot provide contact information. You will need to use Canada 411, a search engine like Google, or call a local funeral home, memorial stone company, or the local municipality. We are a volunteer genealogy project and do not represent any cemetery.

There are photos, an index, or a transcript of [this] cemetery elsewhere online
That’s great to hear! We welcome links to other websites that provide cemetery information. To share it, simply locate the cemetery on our website and use the submission form provided on its page.

I have information to add, where do I send it?
Please locate the cemetery or person in question and use the submission forms available on that page.

Can I submit a transcript?
If it’s one you created yourself, yes please! Locate the cemetery and use the submission forms available on the cemetery page.

I have a photo of a stone missed during photography
If it’s a photo you’ve taken yourself, it would be a welcome addition. Locate the cemetery and use the submission forms available on the cemetery page.

Can I replace a photo?
If you own the photo and the photo has additional information or is more legible than the one currently online, yes please!

To submit your photo(s) please locate the photo you wish to replace and use the ‘replace photo’ form available on that page. This will ensure we replace the correct photo.

Why do I have to locate the cemetery or person to submit or correct information?
This helps ensure your submission is applied to the correct cemetery or individual. To reduce confusion, we assign a unique ID code to every cemetery and person in our database.

The forms on each cemetery or person page include this ID automatically, and we request it on all submission forms. It’s a small step that makes a big difference in helping us accurately manage and update the information!

I have printed photos—can I submit them?
Yes! If possible, please scan the photos or have them transferred to a flash drive, and submit digital copies.

If you’re unable to do that, you can send the original prints by mail. However, please note that we cannot cover shipping costs or return any submitted photos.

Do you have a mailing address?
Yes, but it is only shared with volunteers who are submitting materials by mail. If you need the mailing address, please request it directly from the coordinator you’re corresponding with.

When will my submission appear on the website?
As soon as possible (see response time). We don’t update the website with each individual submission. To make the most of our volunteer time, we collect and process submissions in batches as part of our regular update cycles.

Most submissions will appear within one to two updates. If your submission requires additional work—such as indexing—it may take a bit longer and will be included in the next update once that work is completed.

I found an error! Who do I contact?
If it’s an error with a cemetery (cemetery name, location, etc.) use the ‘correct cemetery information’ form found on the cemetery page.

If it’s an error with a name or headstone, use the error form found on the name page.

Why is [this] name or photo missing from the index?
Check the cemetery page first.
Look for a note indicating whether “some headstones” or “every headstone” are included in the index.

• “Some headstones” means the cemetery was only partially photographed or indexed, and the name or photo you’re looking for may be among those not included.
• If it says “every headstone,” consider the following:
  • Check the date of the visit. If the burial happened after the photographer’s visit, it won’t be in the index.
  • No headstone? Not all burials have a visible or existing headstone—those without one may not appear in the index.
  • Was the stone hidden? Seasonal conditions (like snow or flooding), overgrown vegetation, or other obstructions may have made the stone hard to see or photograph.
  • Human error. Most cemeteries aren’t arranged in neat rows—it’s easy to miss a stone or two during a visit.

Not all entries include photos.

• If you see an error graphic, it means a photo was expected but is not displaying correctly. Please report this using the error form on the name page.
• If there’s a blank space below the name, no photo was submitted.

Can I add a missing name or photo?
Yes! We’re happy to include missing names—provided you’re absolutely certain the person is buried in the correct cemetery. We also welcome headstone photos if you’re able to provide one.

To submit a name or photo, simply locate the cemetery on our website and use the appropriate submission form found on that cemetery’s page.

A stone was not photographed – can you add it?
We’re unable to take requests for photos of specific headstones. However, please check the “Genealogy Resources” section on the cemetery’s page. If a lookup volunteer is listed, they may be able to assist with your request directly.

A name appears in the index, but it’s not their stone
If a relative’s name is inscribed on a headstone—and it’s presumed they are deceased and not buried elsewhere in the same cemetery—their name may still be included in the index. In such cases, a relationship identifier is added to clarify their connection to the person buried there:

• child of – Child of the person named on the stone (not indicative of age)
• erector – Person who erected the stone
• parent – Parent of the person named on the stone
• sibling – Brother or sister of the person named on the stone
• spouse – Husband or wife of the person named on the stone

This helps preserve family connections that may be valuable for genealogical research.

A name appears in the index more than once
We’re actively working to identify and remove duplicate entries. If you come across one, please use the corrections form on that person’s page to report it. Your help is appreciated!

An age or birth year is off by a year
Some ages and birth years are estimates based on what’s written on the headstone.

For example, if the stone only lists a date of death and age at death, the birth year is estimated by subtracting the age from the year of death. This can sometimes result in a one-year difference.

Can you tell me more about a person or family?
All the information we have is already available on the website. Unfortunately, we don’t have any additional details to share and are unable to conduct research on your behalf.

Can I request a lookup?
If a lookup volunteer is available, their name and contact information will be listed on the cemetery’s page. You’re welcome to contact them directly with your request.

If no volunteer is listed, then lookup services are not currently available for that cemetery. Please check back later—volunteers are added as they become available.

May I take a photo from this website and post it elsewhere?
No. Please respect the photographers who generously contributed their work by allowing them to decide where and when their photos are shared.

Do not assume permission on their behalf. We do not forward requests to photographers—if they wish to share their photos elsewhere, they will do so on their own terms.

May I take photos from this website and upload them to Find a Grave?
No. Doing so violates both our policy (see above) and Find a Grave’s own community rules.

If you didn’t take the photo, don’t own it, or don’t have explicit permission from the photographer, you do not have the right to post it anywhere, including Find a Grave.

Please respect the contributions of our volunteers by honoring their rights and wishes.

May I link to a photo on this website?
We ask that you do not link directly to images. Instead, please share our main website address: https://cemetery.canadagenweb.org.

You’re welcome to link to specific cemetery or person pages, but keep in mind that URLs may change over time. The only link we can guarantee will remain stable is our homepage.

May I use photos from this project in my family tree?
Yes—photos may be used for personal research, including in online family trees, as long as the following conditions are met:

• The photographer is credited as the source.
• The photo is used as-is, without altering or removing any copyright tags or markings.

Note: This permission applies only to family trees—not to other cemetery or memorial websites.