Beechwood Cemetery Facts for Kids

For other uses, see Beechwood Cemetery (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Beechwood Cemetery

Cross of Sacrifice erected in honour and memory of all war veterans in 1959

Location

280 Beechwood Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
K1L 8A6

Area

64.7 hectares (160 acres)

Architect

Moses Chamberlain Edey; Robertson Martin Architects

Architectural style(s)

Neo-Gothic

Governing body

The Beechwood Cemetery Foundation; The Beechwood Cemetery Company

Website

Beechwood Cemetery website

National Historic Site of Canada

Designated

2001

Details
Type	National cemetery
No. of graves	Over 82,000

Beechwood Cemetery is known as the national cemetery of Canada. It is located in Ottawa, Ontario. More than 82,000 people are buried here. This includes important figures like former Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn and Prime Minister Robert Borden. Many other notable Canadians, such as Canadian Armed Forces personnel, RCMP officers, and even Hockey Hall of Famers, also rest here.

Beechwood is not just Canada's national cemetery. It also holds the National Military Cemetery for the Canadian Armed Forces. It is also home to the National Memorial Cemetery for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Discover Beechwood Cemetery: Canada's National Memorial
Images for kids
See also

Discover Beechwood Cemetery: Canada's National Memorial

A Place of Honor and History

Beechwood is special because it shows how cemeteries were designed in the 1800s. It is also a very important place for Canadian history. In 2001, it became a National Historic Site of Canada. This means it is a place of great historical importance.

Since 2001, Beechwood has been Canada's National Military Cemetery. Since 2004, it has also been the RCMP National Memorial Cemetery. Governor General Michaëlle Jean opened the Beechwood National Memorial Centre in 2008. In 2017, a special memorial cemetery for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was also created here.

Pipe Major Sergeant Tom Brown is a special piper for the National Military Cemetery. He plays the bagpipes at many outdoor funerals each year.

The Hall of Colours: Honoring Military Flags

Military colours are special flags that represent different army, air force, or navy units. When new flags are made, or a unit is no longer active, these old flags are treated with great respect. They are never destroyed.

After their final parade, these flags are carefully placed in the Hall of Colours for safekeeping. The Hall of Colours was designed by Robertson Martin Architects. It has a beautiful stained glass window showing an oak tree. This window honors Canadian military chaplains. The Royal Canadian Legion helped fund the Hall of Colours with a donation.

Many retired flags from Canada's army, air force, and navy units are displayed high up in the Hall of Colours. These include the Royal Canadian Navy's 30-year-old Queen's Colour and the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Queen's Colour.

War Graves and Memorials

Canadian soldiers and war veterans have been buried at Beechwood since the North-West Rebellion in 1885. The National Military Cemetery here has different parts. Some are looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Others are for veterans and managed by Veterans Affairs Canada.

The Canadian Forces' own National Military Cemetery was created in 2001. It is managed by the federal Department of National Defence. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for the graves of many soldiers from World War I and World War II. They also maintain a memorial for those who were cremated.

A special Cross of Sacrifice stands here. It has a bronze sword set into a granite cross. This memorial honors all soldiers who died in war.

Exploring Beechwood's Past

Boy Scouts placing wreaths on the graves of William McDougall and Hewitt Bernard, Fathers of Confederation, in Beechwood Cemetery in 1927

The very first monument in the cemetery was built in the 1870s. It honors Lieutenant-Colonel John B. Turner, a commanding officer. Another monument from the 1870s remembers Captain James Forsyth.

The cemetery even inspired a famous Canadian poem "In Beechwood Cemetery" by Archibald Lampman. Its final line is, "They know no season but the end of time." Moses Chamberlain Edey designed the cemetery's entrance gates in 1891.

Beautiful Architecture and Gardens

Celtic cross at Beechwood Cemetery

The mausoleum at Beechwood was built in the early 1930s. It is known for its beautiful Neo-Gothic style architecture. Inside, it has stunning stained glass windows by artist James Blomfield.

A Cemetery for Everyone

In 2009, Beechwood officially became the National Cemetery of Canada. This was because it is in the capital city and is a central place for national events like Remembrance Day. It also helps preserve Canada's history and shows our country's diversity.

Beechwood also has special areas for different faiths and cultures. These include monuments for various saints, like Our Lady of Fatima and St. Charbel. There is also a pagoda in the Chinese section and an Aboriginal Tribute Garden.

Notable Canadians Rest Here

Many important Canadians are buried at Beechwood Cemetery. These include former Prime Minister Robert Borden and the much-loved politician Tommy Douglas. Gerhard Herzberg, a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, also rests here. Former Ottawa Mayor Marion Dewar is another notable person buried at Beechwood.

A complete list of all the famous people buried at Beechwood is available on the cemetery's website.

Images for kids

Grave site of Henri-Marc Ami and his wife Clarissa Jane Burland.
Grave site of Thomas Birkett, his wives Mary and Henrietta Gallagher, daughter Nettie, and son Frederick.
Grave site of Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden.
Grave site of Henry Franklin Bronson and his wife Editha.
Grave site of Peter Bryce.
Grave site of Nicholas Flood Davin.
Grave site of Marion Dewar, her husband Kenneth, and son Paul.
Grave site of Tommy Douglas.
Grave site of Inger Hansen.
Grave site of Gerhard Herzberg and wives Luise and Monika.
Grave site of David Kilgour.
Grave site of Sir James Howden MacBrien.
Grave site of William Goodhue Perley, his wife Georgina Gale, and son Sir George Halsey.
Grave site of Norman Elliot Rodger and his wife Isabel Wilson.
Grave site of Philip Ross.
Grave site of Alonzo Wright.