The Mount Pleasant Group is one of Ontario's oldest, largest and most innovative cemetery and funeral operations. We also have four crematoriums, 14 mausoleums and five visitation centres where we also provide funeral services. In addition, we offer funeral services through The Simple Alternative Funeral Centres in Toronto, Mississauga and Pickering. Today, we are made up of two companies: the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries which provides cemetery and crematorium services; and Canadian Memorial Services which provides funeral services. In Ontario, 95% of all cemetery companies are either non-profits, or are owned by religious organizations or municipalities.
Burial in a Catholic cemetery is an affirmation of the Christian faith. The Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese, operated on behalf of all parishes, exercise a ministry of service that continues uninterrupted. Each Catholic cemetery provides the sheltering warmth of the faith, along with a full range of services and exceptional facilities.
The beginning of the United Church congregation in Victoria Square dates back to 1832, when the Primitive Methodists first established what was then termed a ''class'' here under the leadership of ''Daddy'' William Haton. This group built a church on the east side of Woodbine, north of Elgin Mills. Around the same time, John Wesley, leader of the Wesleyan Methodists, was initiating a new influence on our way of life. John Wesley was born in England in the 17th century. He and his brother, Charles, preached a strictly disciplined way of life and because of this, they and their followers were known as Methodists. Toronto's early settlers included many Methodists: Egerton Ryerson, Bishop Strachan, and Timothy Eaton for example.
The Mount Pleasant Group is one of Ontario's oldest, largest and most innovative cemetery and funeral operations. We own and manage 10 cemeteries across the Greater Toronto Area, ranging from Brampton to Oshawa. We also have four crematoriums, 14 mausoleums and five visitation centres where we also provide funeral services. In addition, we offer funeral services through The Simple Alternative Funeral Centres in Toronto, Mississauga and Pickering.
We offer you an opportunity for quiet reflection, whether in one of our chapels or in the park-like settings of our cemeteries. Walkways, flowerbeds, indigenous wild life and other natural elements complete the pastoral setting.
Pine Ridge Memorial Gardens takes great pride in maintaining our beautifully landscaped grounds, lush with many species of trees of both exotic and native origin. The natural pond is home to graceful koi and provides an attractive meeting place for local birds and wildlife. Colourful perennial gardens and manicured shrubs planted among unique cremation memorials make Pine Ridge an ideal location for peaceful visits and quiet memories. We are part of the Arbor Memorial family, a Canadian company with a long-standing tradition of exceptional service. Our caring and compassionate staff are active in the community and raise money for local charities every year.
Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries has 10 locations throughout the GTA. Aside from our funeral and burial services, we provide a place for people in the community to walk, jog or bike as well as honour deceased loved ones. Each cemetery in Toronto and the surrounding areas offers its own unique attributes. We provide entombment in an above-ground mausoleum or crypt, cremation and ash burial, urns and monuments.
Devereaux Cemetery is a new option for the residents of Halton Hills and surrounding communities. It opened in October 2013 and is located beside Holy Redeemer Cemetery, which is operated by The Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Hamilton.