Beechwood Cemetery Ottawa - National Cemetery & Funeral Services

Beechwood Cemetery Ottawa

Beechwood Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services is the National Cemetery of Canada, established in 1873 in Ottawa, Ontario. Located at 280 Beechwood Avenue along the Ottawa River, Beechwood Cemetery serves as the final resting place for many of Canada's most notable figures including prime ministers, military heroes, and cultural icons.

Beechwood is home to four national cemeteries:

• The National Cemetery of Canada
• The National Military Cemetery
• The RCMP National Memorial Cemetery
• The CSIS National Memorial Cemetery

Services

Beechwood offers comprehensive funeral, cemetery, and cremation services:

• Traditional burials and cremation
• Personalized funeral service planning
• Monument and memorialization options
• Beechwood National Memorial Centre for services and receptions
• Sacred Space for events and ceremonies
• Executor Advisor Program
• 24-hour assistance: 1-866-990-9530

Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) at Beechwood

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) maintains commonwealth war graves and memorials at Beechwood Cemetery Ottawa honouring servicemembers from the First and Second World Wars. There are 95 First World War and 143 Second World War Commonwealth war dead commemorated here, from the Canadian, United Kingdom, Australian, and New Zealand armed forces.

Key CWGC landmarks at Beechwood include:

• Cross of Sacrifice — the iconic Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial marker
• Section 27 — featuring military burials and the historic Tank monument

The CWGC Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organization established by Royal Charter in 1917, responsible for commemorating 1.7 million Commonwealth war dead across 153 countries. The CWGC's Canada, Americas and Pacific Area (CAPA) office is based in Ottawa.

Vimy Ridge and World War Connections

Many of those commemorated at Beechwood Cemetery served at major battles including Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and the Somme. The CWGC also maintains the Vimy Memorial in France — Canada's most prominent overseas war memorial honouring over 11,000 Canadian servicemembers with no known grave who died at Vimy Ridge and surrounding battles.

Visiting Beechwood Cemetery Ottawa

• Hours: Daily, sunrise to sunset
• Admission: Free
• Tours: Cemetery tours available, including free CWGC guided tours during War Graves Week (May)
• Getting there: 280 Beechwood Avenue, accessible by OC Transpo bus routes

Community Programs

• Horticultural and Green Programs
• Reconciling History Program
• Defence and Security Services support
• Cultural community services (Asian, Lebanese, Polish, French communities)
• Grief support through the Beechwood Grief Companion Workbook

Volunteer with CWGC

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission runs a National Volunteer Program each summer where volunteers visit, inspect, and help maintain war graves across Canada. Contact: [email protected]