Scott Young, journalist, sportswriter, novelist and father of musician Neil Young

A Visit to Scott Young’s Final Resting Place

On a quiet walk through Emily Presbyterian Cemetery (1852) in Emily, Kawartha Lakes Municipality, Ontario, Canada, I brought with me a pencil and pen—tools of a writer —and visited the grave of Manitoba-born writer and journalist, Scott Young.

Scott began his journalism career at the Winnipeg Free Press in the 1940s before joining the Canadian Press as a war correspondent in London, England. His writing and keen sense for stories took him to Maclean’s Magazine, the Toronto Telegram, and eventually the Globe and Mail. He also served as a host on Hockey Night in Canada. 

Over his prolific career, Scott Young authored 45 books, including novels such as The Shaman’s Knife and Murder in a Cold Climate. But it was his love of sports that truly resonated with young readers, particularly in titles like Boys on Defence, A Boy at Leafs Camp, and Scrubs on Skates.

In 1984, he published a deeply personal book about his son, rock legend Neil Young, chronicling Neil’s journey from small-town Canada to international stardom. It offered readers an intimate look at the man behind the music, from a father’s perspective.

Neil Young recently turned 80 years old.

In 1992, Scott and his wife returned to Omemee, Ontario, just 6 km from Emily Cemetery, where they repurchased their old farm—a return to roots that marked his final chapter.

Scott Alexander Young passed away in Kingston, Ontario, on June 12, 2005, at the age of 87. His legacy lives on in Canadian literature as a storyteller and the father of one of Canada’s most iconic musicians.