Walk through an older section of almost any historic cemetery and you will quickly notice something unusual carved into the stones. A skull with wings. An hourglass with sand running…

Grief is often described as isolating, and not simply because of the internal experience of loss. Many people find that as time passes, their world grows quieter. The phone rings…

When people speak about grief, they often focus on the pain of missing someone. Less frequently discussed, but equally destabilizing, is the way loss reshapes identity. Grief does not only…

Remembrance is not limited to a funeral, an anniversary, or a name engraved on a monument. It lives in the photographs we display, the stories we share, the music we…

On the evening of June 17, Canadians gathered at Beechwood Cemetery, Canada’s National Cemetery, for the Second Annual Under the Maple Leaf – Respecting the Canadian Flag Ceremony. What began…

Few concepts have shaped modern expectations of grief as powerfully, and as inaccurately, as the idea of closure. It is offered as reassurance, embedded in popular psychology, and reinforced through…

5 stages of grief

On March 3, 2026, the National Military Cemetery of Canada at Beechwood Cemetery served as the national gathering place to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the end of the Gulf War. Thirty-five year...

If you have been asked to write and give a loved one’s eulogy—a speech honouring their life—at a funeral or memorial service, you probably have mixed emotions about it. While part of you is honoured b...

Dear Beechwood Community, As we step into a new year, we do so with optimism, purpose, and a clear line of sight on the transformational work ahead. Beechwood’s mandate has always been anchored in rem...

Aider les enfants à parler du deuil avec douceur Lorsqu’un enfant perd une personne qu’il aime, de nombreux parents craignent de dire la mauvaise chose. La réalité est simple : les enfants n’ont pas b...

Helping Children Talk About Grief -  Gently When a child loses someone they love, many parents worry about saying the wrong thing. The truth is simple: children don’t need perfect words. They need spa...

The holiday season is marketed as a time of joy, connection, and celebration. Yet for many, it is one of the most emotionally complex periods of the year. When someone you love is no longer here, the ...

Beechwood Cemetery’s National Military Cemetery of Canada hosted the Second Annual Lebanese-Canadian Military Remembrance Ceremony on November 23, 2025, an observance that reaffirmed the enduring cont...

Every year on November 11, the National Military Cemetery becomes a place where silence carries a depth of meaning no words can reach. The stillness that settles over the rows of headstones is heavy w...

Each November, as Canadians gather in silence at cenotaphs, schools, and cemeteries across the country, a familiar verse rises above the stillness: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow o...

Every September 30, Beechwood Cemetery opens its gates not just as a place of rest, but as a place of learning. On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we dedicate an entire day to education...

Beechwood, the National Cemetery of Canada was established in 1873 on 160 acres of land. Since its founding, there have been over 85,000 people buried at Beechwood, including many prominent Canadian h...

A Practical and Emotional Support Tool for Navigating Life After Loss A NOTE TO YOU Grief is love with nowhere to go. This workbook is here to give it a place. Whether your loss is recent or old, whet...

Grief, while deeply personal, is a universal experience that transcends borders and cultures. Around the world, communities have developed unique traditions and rituals to help individuals and familie...

The RCMP Veterans' Legacy Pathway is more than a landscaped path, it’s a symbolic journey through Canada’s history, values, and the enduring service of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Each tree, sh...

The year 1885 marked a defining moment in Canada’s development—a confrontation on the Prairies that tested the limits of Confederation, challenged government authority, and reshaped relations with Mét...

Next to the Memorial Cross Building at Beechwood Cemetery stands an understated yet captivating presence: the Maackia amurensis, or Amur Maackia. Though less ostentatious than some of its flowering co...

Grief is an inevitable part of life. At some point, we all experience the pain of losing someone we love. While grief can be deeply challenging, it also holds the potential to teach us profound lesson...

The Honourable Norman McLeod Paterson, KGStJ, DCL, LLD August 3, 1883 – August 10, 1983 – Section 51 S Lot R Norman McLeod Paterson was one of Canada’s most influential nation-builders of the 20th cen...

J. Gordon Fogo Q.C., Senator A Life of Quiet Influence and National Purpose Section 52 James Gordon Fogo was born on July 9, 1896, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, into a Canada poised for transformation.

Grief touches every human life, yet the ways we express and cope with it are deeply influenced by culture. Around the globe, communities have created unique mourning rituals that offer comfort, honour...

If you've been eager to explore Ottawa’s own National Cemetery, now’s the perfect time. The Beechwood Stroll, a free volunteer‑led historical walking tour, has unveiled new dates and a redesigned rout...

Beechwood is more than a cemetery. It is a national place of memory - a living archive of Canadian identity that welcomes thousands of visitors each year to walk through the lives and legacies that sh...

YouTube video by Beechwood Cemetery

Tucked within the serene halls of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre lies a powerful and enduring tribute - the Book of Remembrance. This unique offering is more than a record; it is a living memo...

In the quiet corners of many homes across Canada, urns rest on mantels, bookshelves, or in private home memorials, carefully placed by grieving family members as a tribute to someone they love and mis...

Have you ever wondered about the shadowy world of espionage and its connection to Canada? Join us on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the CSIS National Memorial Cemetery at Beechwood for a captiv...

Grief is a natural response to loss, but it is also deeply personal and often unpredictable. It can feel like navigating an uncharted path, filled with twists, turns, and obstacles. There is no single...

Canada’s identity isn’t written in a single language, culture, or faith. It’s written in stories, millions of them, woven together across generations. At Beechwood Cemetery, these stories aren’t forgo...

Section 37, Lot 75 E Ctr Ottawa’s First Fire Chief (1837–1913) William Young was born on July 9, 1837, in Quebec, during a time when Bytown, soon to become Ottawa, was growing into a bustling hub of t...

Eighty years ago, the world emerged from one of the darkest chapters in human history. The Second World War, a conflict that spanned continents and claimed tens of millions of lives, officially came t...

Nestled within the serene Hosta Garden at Beechwood Cemetery stands a remarkable specimen: the Ruby Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus × carnea 'Briotii'). Planted in the year 2000, this tree has matured int...

On Friday, May 30, 2025, Beechwood Cemetery proudly welcomed community members, dignitaries, and Sisters from the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa (SCO) to mark a remarkable milestone—...

May 23, 2023 | RCMP National Memorial Cemetery at Beechwood On a historic spring morning, dignitaries, RCMP Veterans, families, and supporters gathered at the RCMP National Memorial Cemetery at Beechw...