‘The spirit of the founders is here’: Guarding the final rest of more than 9,000 Manitobans

Headstones at St. John’s Cemetery in Winnipeg are seen on May 30, 2026. (Gary Robson/CTV News Winnipeg)

Tucked just a little bit of a walk away from Main Street in Winnipeg, the St. John’s Anglican Cathedral and Cemetery offer a view of the Red River for its residents-in-spirit and guard the final rests of more than 9,000 Manitobans.

Over the weekend, the cathedral welcomed guests as part of Doors Open Winnipeg 2026 – offering about an hour-long guided tour of the cathedral and self-guided tours of both grounds.

The grounds host several historic figures with headstones or monuments, such as two former premiers of Manitoba – John Norquay and Sir Hugh John Macdonald, nine Winnipeg mayors including Alexander Logan, second-ever Indigenous Anglican priest James Settee, several business leaders including James A. Richardson and more.

“There are 9,600 graves surrounding this place. It was founded by the Selkirk settlers in 1812,” said Rene Jamieson, member of the parish council and tour guide.

Jamieson told CTV News lots of did-you-know facts – such as, “the church didn’t come along until 1820, so the cemetery predates the church – which is a little unusual.”

The spirit of the founders is “very much so” present, she said.

“There are people like Colin Inkster who was – oh my gosh – a mainstay of St. John’s. Colin was a warden of this parish for 64 years. Marvellous sense of humour, dedication … his spirit still is part of the fabric of this place.”

In another aspect of presence – nearby streets named after the resting spirits in the cemetery or some kind of connection with the cathedral.

“You got Cathedral, Church, you’ve got Anderson – which was named for our first bishop, you’ve got Matheson which was named for our third bishop.”

Jamieson then offered her insight into the naming history of Mountain Avenue.

“Not that we have any mountains … but it was a bishop named Mountain who came from Montréal in late 1846 – I think – to see if we were ready to have a bishop.

“Every street name in Winnipeg is pretty much on a tombstone in our graveyard.”

‘Builder Bob’

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the current cathedral building’s construction – however, it wasn’t without any hiccups.

“We had to repair the roof in 2005 because it was leaking, and at that time we had a rector of the cathedral, dean of the diocese, Bob Osborne … who was known (as) Builder Bob because the fabric of the cathedral was deteriorating and it was Bob who really put it back together.

“Bob had been a miner before God called him up out of the pits to be a priest and he was very down to earth, loved to work with his hands,” she said.

“I used to work for Bob here at the cathedral, and the administrative assistant and I always said, on our cards, ‘duties: keep the dean off the roof and out of the sump pump’ – we spent a lot of time doing that.”

While the grounds only open once a year, Jamieson said a tour is available for “any group” if they get an advanced notice.

More information about the cathedral and cemetery is available online.