New Edition - Beechwood Way - Summer 2021
AS WE MOVE CLOSER AND CLOSER to our 150th anniversary (2023), Beechwood has been researching our past and our history. We dove deep into our own archives, early Bytown and Ottawa Newspapers, City debates and decisions, and discovered a common element in all of this. Beechwood Cemetery was always meant to hold a special and unique place in our community, our city and ultimately our country.
Over the course of the next few years, we will share short historical pieces about the cemetery. We are discovering incredible stories from the earliest citizens of Ottawa and interesting fact about how they interacted with Beechwood.
Some of the earliest letters from the editor spoke about the natural beauty of Beechwood and how one could get lost in the gardens, the blooms of the flowers and how Beechwood would showcase some of our own flowers in stores across the city. By June 15, 1874, the Ottawa Daily Citizen published short articles about the local cemeteries and said this: “Beechwood Cemetery is becoming a favorite resort on Sunday, and we would advise those of our readers who have not seen the ground to pay it a visit some pleasant afternoon during the present month while the foliage is at its greenest.”1 I suppose the more things change, the more things tend to stay the same.
As part of the research, we have started to establish a library of self-guided tours, with various themes, people and communities highlighted. These tours can be found on the website, on our blog and shared on social media. We hope you take these tours and enjoy exploring different aspects of the cemetery. I have a request to all our readership: Do you have a Beechwood story that you would like us to share? Is there something or someone you know who has an incredible story or tale? The Beechwood Way has been receiving regular updates on the stories we share and, in this issue, there is an update on the Nicholas Flood Davin monument and its connection to a National Military Memorial in France.
We cannot be more appreciative of our readers sending this information to us. Remember to follow us on social media or the Beechwood Blog found on the homepage of our site for quick stories, interesting information, and updates on all the activities of the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation.