On May 14, 2026, Beechwood officially launched its long-awaited historical publication, The Journey of Beechwood Cemetery: Canada’s Legacy Written in Stone, a landmark project exploring the remarkable evolution of Beechwood Cemetery from a rural burial ground established in 1873 into the National Cemetery of Canada.
The launch marks an important milestone not only for Beechwood, but for Ottawa and Canada as a whole. For more than 150 years, Beechwood has stood at the intersection of local history and national memory. Within its grounds are the stories of nation builders, veterans, public servants, cultural communities, political leaders, artists, pioneers, and everyday Canadians whose lives helped shape the country we know today.
The book examines how Beechwood grew alongside Ottawa itself, from the early days of Bytown and the construction of the Rideau Canal, through Confederation, the World Wars, and into the modern era of national remembrance and multicultural identity. Drawing on years of research, photography, archival material, and historical interpretation, the publication highlights the cemetery’s transformation into one of Canada’s most significant commemorative landscapes.
The project itself was years in the making. First envisioned in 2016 by former Beechwood President Roger Boult, the initiative was later carried forward under the leadership of Andrew Roy. Since the beginning, authors and historians Erika Wagner and Nicolas McCarthy worked extensively to shape the publication into a comprehensive reflection of Beechwood’s historical, cultural, military, and environmental significance.
More than a historical record, the book captures the spirit of Beechwood itself — a place created by Canadians, for Canadians. Today, Beechwood is recognized as both a National Historic Site and the National Cemetery of Canada through an Act of Parliament. (beechwoodottawa.ca)
Readers will discover stories connected to:
- The establishment of Ottawa’s earliest cemeteries
- The evolution of military remembrance in Canada
- The creation of the National Military Cemetery
- The cultural communities that helped shape Beechwood
- The cemetery’s botanical gardens and environmental stewardship
- National memorials and commemorative traditions
- The people buried at Beechwood who influenced Canada’s political, military, artistic, and social development
The publication also reflects Beechwood’s ongoing role as a living public space — one that continues to host ceremonies, educational programming, tours, and national commemorations that connect Canadians to their shared history.
As part of the launch, two official Foundation products connected to the book project are now available through the Beechwood Foundation Store.
Support the Beechwood Foundation Products
The Beechwood Cemetery Foundation operates on a not-for-profit basis and supports the preservation, interpretation, and enhancement of the National Cemetery of Canada.
To explore and purchase the official Foundation products connected to this project, visit:
Beechwood Foundation Products Store
Every purchase supports the continued preservation of Beechwood’s history, educational programming, public tours, horticultural initiatives, and national remembrance activities.
Beechwood’s story is ultimately Canada’s story, written not only in archives and monuments, but across generations of remembrance, service, sacrifice, and community.
