Beechwood Cemetery: November 1, 2011

These are images and thoughts from a visit on a warm late fall day. Our tour guide is much involved with the cemetery and he certainly gave us a great tour. There were about a dozen of us. Many said - we never realized that there was so much space and interesting places in this cemetery.

I have often driven by it and seen the trees along the main street. I know my neighbours are buried there. I met the daughter when I came home and she told me where her parents are buried. For another visit I will know. By her front door she has a stone angel - she has it because these kinds of statues are no longer allowed on the cemetery plots.

The tour was supposed to last one hour and 40 minutes but I checked my watch when we were finished and it was two hours later. It was quite chilly when we started but the sun was out by the time we were finished.

Our tour guide said - ask any questions that you like and we all did.

There is certainly lots to see - the scenery and the people being remembered and the different groups.

There are two sections for the military. The older military section has some military hardware. Where was that tank before it was here? At the old Canadian War Museum on Sussex Drive and it was pointed towards a particular Embassy which did not seem to bother the officials there.

The older section is lined up quite nicely but the newer section is lined up very precisely. They do it with lasers.

Newer Ottawa history is combined with old. There is a large pile of quite large logs. Several years ago a major wind storm took down some trees. The logs cannot be moved or used for any other purpose because of the emerald ash bore which is rampant in Ottawa.

There is a 9/11 memorial to the Canadians who died.

There are two Chinese sections -the older one is behind a very large hedge. That is a sign of the times and keeping other groups apart and hidden.

There are many Ottawa names with family plots which are very familiar - Sparks and Bronson and Slater. Other local names are Hulse and McGarry - the funeral parlours in Ottawa.

There is only one Prime Minister buried here - Sir Robert Borden. Another colleague is buried down the road in the Catholic cemetery.

There are very young children buried in the older sections if you look closer at the dates. The mortality rate was much higher than it is now for that age group.

There is a Garden of Angels decorated with children’s’ mementoes - teddy bears, etc. for those without a family plot.

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I was surprised by how the cemetery is higher up and one can look over towards the city buildings and Parliament Hill. Tommy Douglas - a great Canadian politician is buried where one can see the Parliament Buildings in the distance.

There is lots of space - maybe for another 200 years - as more people are being cremated.

The group will probably go back again in the spring when the tulips are out the trees are in blossom.