On the evening of Thursday, May 14, 2026, the staff at the Beechwood Cemetery launched a new book on their history. Attending were the two authors, Erika Wagner and Nicolas McCarthy, the current and former Beechwood management and staff, and a large crowd, all who had gathered in the Sacred Space at the cemetery for the formal part of the launch.

Erika Wagner acted as the emcee for the evening, introducing key project members and thanking the audience for their attendance. She went on to explain the somewhat long and involved process that has now produced this fabulous book. She spoke with great excitement and obvious joy regarding her own part in the project, relating a number of incidents along the way, including “help” from her cat, when she had all of the proof pages spread out across her floor. She thanked all who had participated in the research, selection of materials, proofreading, photography and production of what is truly a beautiful piece.

Nicolas McCarthy then spent about fifteen minutes talking about Beechwood Cemetery from its origins in 1873, as a replacement for the Sandy Hill Cemetery, (Macdonald Gardens Park), which had been in use, but faced closure due to the pressure of the expanding community. The Catholic internees of the Sandy Hill cemetery were reinterred at the Notre Dame cemetery, while all others went to Beechwood. The decision was made to make Beechwood a public rather than a religiously affiliated cemetery, thus as each new community found its home in Ottawa, Beechwood welcomed them, created a space for them where their own traditions and expressions of faith would be honoured and respected. Nick went on to speak of the role of Beechwood as Canada’s National cemetery, with dedicated areas for the Armed Forces, the RCMP and CSIS. Finally, he discussed the role of the cemetery and how Beechwood is today looked to by other cemeteries as the example of how to bring the cemetery back into the community.

A reception and book signing followed.

The book itself, The Journey of Beechwood Cemetery: Canada's Legacy Written in Stone , is a large format hardcover volume of 196 pages. It is available in French as L’Épopée du cimetière Beechwood : L’héritage du Canada gravé dans la pierre . It is beautifully illustrated throughout with black & white and colour photos appearing on almost every page. The book tells the history of our city and our country through the lives of both the famous and the forgotten. A joy to read, it can be ordered through the Beechwood website, Foundation Products Archives - Beechwood Ottawa , for pick up at the cemetery or for home delivery.