On August 12, 2026, Beechwood Cemetery launched Under the Leaves: Poetry at Beechwood, a new annual series celebrating the voices, histories and creative spirit that shape Canada’s capital.

The inaugural event, Bytown to Ottawa: A Bicentennial Poetry Gathering, brought together historical and contemporary poetry to explore Ottawa’s evolution over the past two centuries.

Originally planned as an outdoor gathering beside the grave of William Pittman Lett, the event was moved into Beechwood’s main building because of the weather. While the location changed, Lett’s civic and literary legacy remained at the centre of the evening.

Remembering William Pittman Lett

The event was held on the anniversary of Lett’s birth in 1819.

Recognized as one of Bytown’s earliest poets and a foundational civic storyteller, Lett witnessed the transformation of a canal and timber settlement into the City of Ottawa.

When Ottawa was incorporated as a city in 1855, Lett became its first City Clerk. He held the position for 36 years, safeguarding municipal records, supporting the work of council and providing administrative continuity during an important period of growth.

Lett was also a journalist, speaker, chronicler and prolific poet. His 1874 collection, Recollections of Bytown and Its Old Inhabitants, documented the people, places and events of early Bytown through verse.

The evening featured tribute readings from Lett’s original works, allowing his nineteenth-century observations to be heard by a new generation.

Connecting Bytown with Ottawa

The historical readings were followed by original response pieces from Ottawa poets Cameron Anstee, Frances Boyle and Jean Van Loon.

Their work reflected on the city’s evolution over the past 200 years and placed Lett’s accounts in conversation with contemporary experiences of Ottawa.

Each poet brought a distinct perspective to the gathering. Together, their contributions demonstrated that a city’s history is not a single, permanent narrative. It is an ongoing conversation shaped by the people who document, interpret and reimagine it.

The program was developed in partnership with City of Ottawa Poet Laureate David O’Meara and Blaine Marchand of the League of Canadian Poets. Their involvement helped connect Beechwood’s responsibility for preserving cultural memory with Ottawa’s active and diverse literary community.

A New Annual Tradition at Beechwood

Under the Leaves will provide an annual space for poets, storytellers and audiences to explore the intersections of heritage, identity and artistic expression.

Beechwood preserves the stories of many people who helped shape Ottawa and Canada. Through this new series, those stories can be revisited through contemporary voices and new creative works.

The inaugural gathering also contributed to the bicentennial commemoration of Bytown’s founding in 1826. The anniversary provides an opportunity to look beyond familiar historical accounts and consider the many communities, experiences and perspectives that contributed to Ottawa’s development.

Beechwood extends its sincere thanks to David O’Meara, Blaine Marchand, Cameron Anstee, Frances Boyle, Jean Van Loon, the tribute readers and everyone who attended the inaugural gathering.

The weather may have moved the event indoors, but it did not diminish the warmth, creativity or sense of connection that defined the evening.

With the launch of Under the Leaves: Poetry at Beechwood, a new cultural tradition has taken root.

A city’s story lives through its poets. At Beechwood, those voices will continue to be heard.