Name of Toronto
John Graves Simcoe identified the area as a strategic location to base a new capital for Upper Canada, believing Newark to be susceptible to American invasion. A garrison was established at Garrison Creek, on the western entrance to the docks of Toronto Harbour, in 1793; this later became Fort York. The settlement it defended was renamed York on August 26, 1793, as Simcoe favoured English names over those of First Nations languages, in honour of Prince Frederick, Duke of York. Residents petitioned to change the name back to Toronto, and in 1834 the city was incorporated with its original name. The name York lived on through the name of York County (which was later split into Metropolitan Toronto and York Region), and continues to live on through the names of several districts within the city, including Yorkville, East York, and North York, the latter two suburbs that were formally amalgamated into the "megacity" of Toronto on January 1, 1998.
York Cemetery, Toronto
York Cemetery is a cemetery located in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The property of York Cemetery was originally farmed by Joseph Shepard who bought the property in 1805. The brick farm house on the property was constructed by Joseph's son, Michael in 1837. Prior to 1940s the land was also used as the short-lived Willowdale Airfield. In 1916, the Toronto General Burying grounds (now Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries) bought the property, but didn't start to convert the 172 acres (70 ha) for cemetery use until 1946, two years before the property officially opened. (1948). The cemetery once fronted on Yonge Street, but in 1966, eighteen and a half acres were sold to the city of North York (now part of Toronto). The cemetery has continued to develop, with the addition of a chapel and reception centre, and also the newly built "garden of remembrance".