Beechwood Cemetery, located in the former city of Vanier in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, is the National Cemetery of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. It is the final resting place for over 82,000 Canadians from all walks of life, such as important politicians like Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn and Prime Minister Sir

Robert Borden Sir Robert Laird Borden (June 26, 1854 – June 10, 1937) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. He is best known for his leadership of Canada during World War I. Borde ...

, Canadian Forces Veterans, War Dead, members of the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

, and men and women who have made a mark on Canadian history. In addition to being Canada's National Cemetery, it is also the National Military Cemetery of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Memorial Cemetery. A woodland cemetery founded in 1873, it is and is the largest cemetery in the city of Ottawa.

Honours and designations

Beechwood has received various honours and designations because it is recognized as an example of 19th-century rural cemeteries and as a place of national significance and importance as a depository of Canadian history. It was designated as a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

in 2001. The cemetery has served as the National Military Cemetery of Canada since 2001 and has served since 2004 as the

RCMP The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

National Memorial Cemetery. Governor General Michaëlle Jean opened the Beechwood National Memorial Centre on 7 April 2008. In 2017, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's National Memorial Cemetery was established at Beechwood. Pipe Major Sgt Tom Brown is the "on call" piper for the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood where he can perform up to a dozen outdoor funerals a year.

Hall of Colours

When new colours (flags) are received or a unit is disbanded, colours are treated with utmost respect to military service and are never destroyed. After being carried on parade for the last time, the colour party presents the colours prior to the ceremony in which they are laid up for safekeeping in the Hall of Colours. Designed by Robertson Martin Architects, the Hall of Colours features a memorial stained glass window featuring an oak tree in leaf honouring Canadian military chaplains. The Hall of Colours was supported by a donation of $50,000 from Dominion Command of The Royal Canadian Legion. The retired colours of Canada's army, air force and naval regiments are mounted at ceiling level in the Hall of Colours in the National Memorial Centre. *

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...

's 30-year-old Queen's Colour (2008) * 2nd Battalion Royal 22^e Régiment Queen's Colour and Regimental Colour * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Queen's Colour and Regimental Colour * 412 Squadron's retired Standard (2011) * Royal Canadian Dragoons' 2nd. Guidon (2012) * Les Fusiliers du S^t-Laurent (Queen's Colour and Regimental Colour – 2012) * 436 Transport Squadron's retired Standard (2012) * 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron's Standard (2013) * 411 Tactical Helicopter Squadron's Standard (2013) * 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment's Regimental Colour (2014)

History

Scouts placed wreaths on the graves of Macdougall and Bernard, Fathers of Confederation in Beechwood Cemetery

Since the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a Resistance movement, resistance by the Métis people (Canada), Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Natio ...

of 1885, soldiers who were killed in the line of duty and war veterans have been buried in Beechwood Cemetery. The cemetery contains the National Military Cemetery which consists of two sections managed by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

, a Veterans Section owned by Veterans Affairs Canada and the National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces, created in 2001 and owned and managed by the federal Department of National Defence. The first monument in the cemetery was erected by members of the 2nd Ottawa Field Battery in the 1870s. The sculptured sandstone cairn is dedicated to the memory of their former commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John B. Turner. Erected in the 1870s by members of the 2nd Ottawa Field Battery, a sculptured sandstone statue on shaft is dedicated to the memory of a former commander, Captain James Forsyth. The cemetery inspired a classic Canadian poem "In Beechwood Cemetery" by

Archibald Lampman Archibald Lampman (17 November 1861 – 10 February 1899) was a Canadian poetry, Canadian poet. "He has been described as 'the Canadian John Keats, Keats;' and he is perhaps the most outstanding exponent of the Canadians, Canadian school of ...

with its memorable final line, "They know no season but the end of time." Moses Chamberlain Edey designed the cemetery entrance gates in 1891. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for the graves of 98 Commonwealth (mainly Canadian) service personnel of World War I and 113 of World War II. The commission also maintains the Ottawa Cremation Memorial, in a shelter adjoining the newer of the veterans' plots, which lists 26 personnel who were cremated in Canada and the U.S.A. in World War II.
CWGC Cemetery Report. Noted for its

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

architecture, the mausoleum at Beechwood was built by Canada Mausoleums Ltd. in the early 1930s. After a few years of operation, in a time of depression and financial difficulties, the mausoleum became the property of the cemetery. The building features stained glass windows designed by noted stained glass artist

James Blomfield James Jervis Blomfield (1879-1951) was an English-born Canadian artist and designer. He is best known for his design of the coat of arms of Vancouver and as a pioneer in the field of stained glass art in Canada, with an extensive body of works co ...

. The

erected a memorial, known as a Cross of Sacrifice, incorporating a bronze sword inlayed in a granite cross in memory of the war dead buried in the cemetery's field of honour. On 5 March 2009 Environment Minister

Jim Prentice Peter Eric James Prentice (July 20, 1956 – October 13, 2016) was a Canadian politician who served as the 16th premier of Alberta from 2014 to 2015. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a candida ...

introduced legislation to designate Beechwood as the National Cemetery of Canada due to "its location here in our national capital, Beechwood serves as a focal point for our national memorial events, including Remembrance Day, and it is an appropriate place to conduct state burials." This was done to "serve as an important symbol of Canadian unity and pride and a means of preserving and promoting Canada's rich history and our diversity." The bill was passed on March 6. The bill received

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...

on April 23, 2009. The multi-faith aspects include a monument to

Our Lady of Fatima Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulato ...

Élisabeth Bruyère Élisabeth Bruyère or Bruguier (March 19, 1818 – April 5, 1876) was the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Bytown and opened the first hospital there and the first bilingual school in Ontario. Biography She was born Élisabeth Bruguier ...

, St. Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, St. Charbel (for the Lebanese community) and a pagoda in the Chinese section of the cemetery and an Aboriginal Tribute Garden.

Interments

A full list of notable individuals buried at Beechwood can be found on the cemetery's website. List by death year: * Thomas McKay (1792–1855), businessman, a founder of the city of Ottawa * Sir William Johnstone Ritchie (1813–1892), second Chief Justice of Canada *

Hewitt Bernard Hewitt Bernard, (1825 – 24 February 1893) was a Canadian lawyer, militia officer, editor, and civil servant. Life and career Bernard was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica. He was educated in Bath, England, and practiced law education in Jam ...

(1825–1893), lawyer, Father of Confederation *

Henry Wentworth Monk Henry Wentworth Monk (April 6, 1827 – August 24, 1896) was a Canadian Christian Zionist, mystic, Messianist, and millenarian. Some have credited him with predicting the formation of the United Nations and both World Wars, although these cla ...

(1827–1896), Canadian

Christian Zionist Christian Zionism is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land and the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 were in accordance with Bible prophecy. The term began to be used in the mid-20th century in ...

Thomas Fuller Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...

(1823–1898), architect, designer of the Parliament Buildings of Canada *

(1861–1899), poet *

Sir John George Bourinot Sir John George Bourinot, (October 24, 1836 – October 13, 1902) was a Canadian journalist, historian, and civil servant, sole author of the first Canadian effort in 1884 to document ''Parliamentary Procedure and Practice'', and remembered ...

(1837–1902), historian, political scientist, newspaper publisher * Sir William McDougall (1822–1905), lawyer, politician, Father of Confederation * Sir Henry Newell Bate (1833–1906), Canadian industrialist, first Chairman of the National Improvement Commission (

National Capital Commission The National Capital Commission (NCC; french: Commission de la capitale nationale, CCN) is the Crown corporation responsible for development, urban planning, and conservation in Canada's Capital Region (Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec), i ...

), founder of Beechwood Cemetery, Founder of All Saints Anglican Church (Ottawa) ( All Saints Anglican Church (Ottawa)) * Andrew George Blair (1844–1907), statesman, Premier of New Brunswick * Hod Stuart (1879–1907), ice hockey player, member of

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...

* Sir Sandford Fleming (1827–1915), engineer, inventor * Wilfred Campbell (1858–1918), poet * Sir Cecil Spring Rice (1859–1918), British Ambassador to the United States * John Macoun (1831–1920), noted naturalist after which the Macoun marsh wild life area in the cemetery is named *

Arthur L. Sifton Arthur Lewis Watkins Sifton (October 26, 1858 – January 21, 1921) was a Canadian lawyer, judge and politician who served as the second premier of Alberta from 1910 until 1917. He became a minister in the federal cabinet of Canada therea ...

(1858–1921), statesman, Premier of Alberta *

John Rudolphus Booth John Rudolphus Booth (April 5, 1827 – December 8, 1925) was a Canadian lumber tycoon and railroad baron. He controlled logging rights for large tracts of forest land in central Ontario, and built the Canada Atlantic Railway (from Georgian ...

(1827–1925), lumber tycoon * James Creighton or J.G.A. Creighton (1850–1930), 'father' of organized ice hockey, law clerk of the Senate * Frank Maurice Stinson Jenkins (1859–1930), founder, and the first captain of the Ottawa Hockey Club, orchestra conductor * Sir George Eulas Foster (1847–1931), politician * Charles H. Mackintosh (1843–1931), Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories, 1893–1898, Member of Parliament, 13th Mayor of Ottawa, (1879–1881), owner/editor of the Ottawa ''Citizen'' (1874–1892) * Sir Robert Borden (1854–1937), 8th Prime Minister of Canada * Eddie Gerard (1890–1937), Hall of Fame ice hockey player *

Harvey Pulford Ernest Harvey Pulford (April 22, 1875 – October 31, 1940) was a Canadian athlete at the turn of the twentieth century, winning national championships in ice hockey, lacrosse, football, boxing, paddling and rowing. A highly regarded defenceman w ...

(1875–1940), Hall of Fame ice hockey player * Charles Stewart (1868–1946), politician, Premier of Alberta * Duncan Campbell Scott (1862–1947), poet * Percy Algernon Taverner (1875–1947), ornithologist * John Duncan MacLean (1873–1948), teacher, physician, politician and the 20th Premier of British Columbia *

Faith Fyles Faith Fyles (1875–1961) was the first botanical artist with the Canadian federal government, department of agriculture (now Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). Her work resulted in the expansion of the herbarium in Ottawa. Biography Fyles ...

(1875-1961) pioneering Canadian government female botanist and artist * Henry Crerar (1888–1965), Canadian Army General and diplomat *

Andrew McNaughton Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...

(1887–1966), Commander-in-Chief Canadian 1st Army in WW II, statesman *

William Arthur Steel William Arthur Steel MC (November 3, 1890 – November 28, 1968) was a Canadian Army officer during World War I and a radio pioneer. Steel was born in 1890 in Castleton, Ontario and graduated from electrical engineering from the University of ...

(1890-1968), Canadian radio pioneer * Charles Foulkes (1903–1969), Canadian Army General, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff, negotiated the WWII Nazi surrender in the Netherlands * Harry L. 'Punch' Broadbent (1892–1971), Hall of Fame ice hockey player * Clint Benedict (1894–1976), Hall of Fame ice hockey player * Cecil Duncan (1893–1979), Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president * Johnny Fauquier (1909–1981), Hall of Fame aviator, WWII hero, DFC, DSO *

Tommy Douglas Thomas Clement Douglas (20 October 1904 – 24 February 1986) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as seventh premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and Leader of the New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1971. A Baptist min ...

(1904–1986), politician, voted "The Greatest Canadian" * Hardial Bains (1939–1997), founder of the CPC (ML) * Ray Hnatyshyn (1934–2002), statesman,

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm ...

Lou Lefaive Louis Ernest Lefaive (February 13, 1928 – July 4, 2002) was a Canadian sports administrator and civil servant. He served in multiple executive roles which included, the director of Fitness and Amateur Sport, director of Sport Canada, presiden ...

(1928–2002), Canadian sports administrator and civil servant * Nichola Goddard, MSM (1980–2006), CAPT, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. First Canadian female soldier killed in action *

Maurice Nadon Maurice Jean Nadon (July 8, 1920 – December 21, 2009) was the 16th Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, serving from January 1, 1974 to August 31, 1977. Nadon was born in Mattawa, Ontario, joined the RCMP in 1939 and retired from t ...

(1920–2009), former

Commissioner *

Mauril Bélanger Mauril Adrien Jules Bélanger (June 15, 1955 – August 15, 2016) was a Canadian politician. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, he represented Ottawa—Vanier in the House of Commons through a by-election victory in 1995 until his death ...

(1955–2016), Member of Parliament for

Ottawa—Vanier Ottawa—Vanier (formerly known as Ottawa East) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1935. Previous to that date, it was part of the Ottawa electoral district tha ...

References

;Bibliography * *

External links