ALL SOULS
AT MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY
October 25 to November 1, 2023
HONOURING OLD TRADITIONS | CREATING NEW ONES
“The departed they visit us in dreams. They glide above our memories like shadows over streams.”
– Quote on a headstone in Mountain View Cemetery
In many cultures around the world, the days at the end of October and beginning of November are considered an important time for honouring the dead in our lives. In our modern, urban, and relatively transient culture, traditional “village” customs have been left behind, though not the human impulses that led to these traditions.
All Souls at Mountain View Cemetery is an artist led, non-denominational, annual event to honour our dead.
Held during the last days of October, people are invited to create personal memorials and place them on public shrines. Often there is live music, and small fires to gather around.
We end with a closing procession to the shrines on November 1st. After it’s all over, we gather up the written messages and memorials and read the names out loud, before burning them in a closing ceremony.
About All Souls
All Souls at Mountain View Cemetery was conceived by artists Paula Jardine & Marina Szijarto. Over the years, they have been joined by others who have shared their love and regard for their dead.
Events
The events occurring during All Souls at Mountain View Cemetery have included music, art, poetry and other creative expressions and the opportunity for the creation of personal shrines and memorials.
Photos
Since its inception, many wonderful photographs have been taken at All Souls at Mountain View Cemetery of the events, the community, the installations and the art both by professionals and by attendees.
For information about programing and upcoming events, follow us at:
About Mountain View Cemetery
Mountain View Cemetery, located at Fraser Street and East 39th Avenue, opened in 1886 and is the only public cemetery within Vancouver. Owned and operated by the City of Vancouver, the Cemetery is an important civic space and provides interment options and event space. The cemetery is a reflection of Vancouver’s history, serving as the final resting place of almost 150,000 people, including several past mayors, veterans from World Wars, and people representing varied faiths, ethnicities, ages and contributions to Vancouver’s past, present and future.
For more information on the cemetery, visit: vancouver.ca/mountainview .