Columbia Cemetery

The Columbia Cemetery is valued as the only public cemetery in Rossland, and although closed to further burials since 1985, it has been and will continue to be a place where family and interested people come to visit and stay in touch with the past. The Columbia Cemetery is the final resting place of over 950 Rossland citizens who died between the years of 1896 and 1945. Some of the family names on tombstones are common to people living in Rossland today. The tombstone engravings are tangible reminders of the love, devotion, respect and loss felt by Rosslanders over the years, for their family members and loved ones.

Aspects of Rossland's historical social fabric are reflected in blocks or parts of blocks that are identified with various fraternal organizations by special monuments including Knights of Pythias, Eagles and Oddfellows.

The original design of the cemetery and the layout of the plots within the blocks have been adhered to since the creation of the cemetery in 1899, although the hilly terrain has determined which plots have actually been used for burial sites. The setting of the Columbia Cemetery, surrounded by pasture land and wooded areas, and the maintenance of the cemetery provided by the City, create a peaceful ambience which is enjoyed by walkers, bikers and hikers as well as visitors today.