Secrets of Fernhill: Inside Saint John's spooky, historic cemetery

Poet Andrew Marvell wrote, "The grave's a fine and private place / But none, I think, do there embrace." And indeed, some peoplearerepelledby the thought of hanging outin a graveyard.

ButFernhill Cemetery is much more than that.

Founded in east Saint John in 1848, Fernhill is the largest cemeteryon the East Coast, rivalling in size bothToronto's historic Mount Pleasant Cemetery, and rambling Mount Royal in Montreal albeit with only 43,000 permanent residents, compared to the168,000to 200,000 in those other urban burial grounds.

It remainsone of the Saint John's biggest, least-exploredgreen spaces.

Two decades older thanCanadaitself,Fernhillishome tosecret paths,quietfountains,famous politicians, victims of tragic shipwrecks,and ordinary folks fromall walks of life.

The CBC'sJulia Wright dug deep into itsstories,and captured these photos.