A funeral is a ceremony that marks the passing or celebrates the life of a loved ones. The funeral department also deals with all aspects of a deceased human body
The cemetery is the location where your loved one is buried and memorialized.
Burial and cremation are two different methods of disposing of one’s body.
Burial, as known as interment, is a ritual in which the body is placed in a casket, then in the ground or a crypt (above ground). The casket can be encased in a vault (if soil conditions permit).
Cremation is a process where the human body is incinerated to cremated remains (commonly called ‘ashes’) which are placed into an urn. Anything you put cremated remains into is called an urn.
Plot/lot/grave - A piece of land for the burial of a casket and/or an urn.
Mausoleum - A building in which caskets and/or urns are placed in crypts (entombed) or in compartments (called niches).
Columbarium - A structure with compartments of niches (small spaces) for placement of urn(s) containing cremated remains. It may be outdoors, part of a mausoleum or indoors in a columbarium room.
In-ground burial:
Cremation garden – Beechwood offers the Botanical Cremation Garden for cremation interment, which consists of a beautiful park-like area, gardens, gazebo and ponds.
Single grave lot - A single grave can accommodate up to two caskets (depending on soil conditions) as well as up to eight urns. A two-grave lot (or double lot), can accommodate up to four caskets (depending on soil conditions) and up to sixteen urns.
Family estate lots - Beechwood offers an array of lot sizes to accommodate a family’s future needs for multiple casket burials, cremation interments or a combination of both.
Above ground burial:
Niches – Beechwood has locations available, both indoor and outdoor, for inurnment of cremated remains.
Outdoor crypts - Beechwood also offers outdoor crypts for those who prefer above ground placement of a casket (called ‘entombment’).
Family mausoleum - Beechwood has locations available for families who wish to custom build mausoleums for as few as two entombments up to as many as a family may require.
Beechwood offers a broad spectrum of memorialization choices, including:
Upright monuments (formerly described as ‘headstones’ or ‘stone’) - Monuments are a popular choice for year-round visibility. A wide variety of colours, styles, designs, bases and inscription choices are available.
Flat markers - Bronze or granite markers can be placed either flush on the ground or vertically on a wall. Markers vary in size, shape, colour and design.
Tree dedications – Throughout the cemetery Beechwood offers families the option to choose an existing hearty tree for dedication purposes or a memorial tree can be planted (location to be approved by management) with an accompanying bronze plaque mounted on a natural boulder. No burial can take place at tree dedications, unless you are specifically purchasing a lot with a tree dedication.
Bench dedications - In many parts of the cemetery or on a two-grave lot or larger location, a memorial bench may be placed to provide the opportunity to visit, reflect and pay tribute. • Book of Remembrance - As an additional form of memorialization, a person’s name and lifespan may be recorded in Beechwood’s Book of Remembrance (located in the Beechwood National Memorial Centre).
Tree of Life - As an additional form of memorialization, a person’s name and lifespan may be recorded on a leaf in Beechwood’s Tree of Life (located in the Beechwood National Memorial Centre).
There are many beautiful park-like areas and gardens throughout Beechwood that are available to serve the needs of the public. There are a number of sections designated for use by the diverse cultural, ethnic and faith groups in Canada.
In addition, Beechwood is the home of the National Military Cemetery, the RCMP National Memorial Cemetery, the Ottawa Police Service Memorial Cemetery and CSIS National Memorial Cemetery.
As an Interment Rights Holder (“Rights Holder”) what is owned is the “interment right.” This gives you the right to determine who can be buried in your grave, crypt, or niche and what memorialization, if any, will be placed there, providing it’s permitted within the cemetery’s by-laws. The land remains the property of the cemetery and its responsibility for care & maintenance.
Ontario law requires that every interment right be sold in perpetuity. This means you and your heirs will own the interment rights forever.
Arranging in advance saves money and stress for your loved ones, helps ensure your wishes are carried out exactly as you want, and provides you with the comfort of knowing that it’s all been taken care of.
A will is an important legal document, however, it often isn’t read until after the funeral/burial. Our pre-arranged plan offers security to you and your family that the money to cover your final expenses will be immediately available when it’s needed.
Yes. We will work with you to ensure your plans meet your financial needs. You can pay for your arrangements in their entirety, or take advantage of our payment plans.
What you decide to plan ahead of time is entirely up to you. Whether you begin the process with funeral or cemetery plans, we can help you and your loved ones gain a better understanding of the many traditional and contemporary options available to reflect your taste, culture, and budget.
In certain sections of the cemetery, we ‘package’ the purchase of the land and memorial. If there is no ‘package’ in the area of your choice, you are welcome to purchase the land and work with your family services representative to build a monument.
Yes. Interment rights can be arranged for one individual (sole owner) or for multiple individuals (joint owners).
Yes. An allocation document, in which the Rights Holder pre-authorizes who can be buried in the future, specifies who is permitted and the location of the burials. The document also allows memorialization for those named and can be completed with the cemetery office. Having this document in place avoids having to obtain permission or direction at the time of need.
Yes and they don’t have to necessarily be a family member. However, written permission from the Rights Holder is required if the person is not of direct lineage.
When interment rights are purchased, a portion is set aside for the care & maintenance of the land being purchased. This amount can be up to 40% depending on the location. The cemetery uses the interest from this account to carry out the care and maintenance. This way cemetery property may be cared for in perpetuity (forever).
The amount for ongoing care and maintenance is included in the purchase price; therefore, no annual fees are required. When a marker/monument is purchased, there is a one-time care and maintenance fee depending on the type and size of the selection. This care & maintenance fee is for the memorial only and not for the maintenance of the land previously purchased. The care and maintenance is only on the foundation, not the monument. The family owns the monument.