Whatever your wishes, Beechwood has comfortable and beautiful facilities to accommodate them. Our facilities are open to the public daily, except December 25th and January 1st, and you are welcome to visit, subject to availability. Click here to contact us and for hours of operation.
Beechwood National Memorial Centre
Attached to its 19th-century stone office building is Beechwood’s 7,000-square-foot state-of-the-art reception centre that provides families with classic comfort. With its sunlit wall-to-wall windows, the inviting warmth of fireplaces, and bright and gleaming hardwood floors, the centre provides reception rooms, family meeting rooms and catering facilities.
Officially opened in April 2008 by the Governor General of Canada, the Beechwood National Memorial Centre is considered to be unique in the world. It is truly an achievement of national and international significance.
Sacred Space
One of the most impressive rooms in the Centre was conceived from extensive consultations with local faith leaders and the Ontario Multi-Faith Council. With its spectacularly sky-lit dome poised at the centre of the soaring rooftop canopy, Beechwood’s nine-sided multi-functional facility, called the Sacred Space, serves the commemorative needs of Canadians of diverse backgrounds.
At the heart of the Centre lies a centuries-weathered and storied boulder unearthed from Beechwood’s 160-acre property. “The rock,” as it is known, has a special significance best described by the poignant words of the former Chaplain General of the Canadian Forces, B Gen (ret’d) Gerald E. Peddle:
“The rock will remind people that in the midst of transient life, there is a permanence in the grander order of things. This rock will be our silent witness of the entire passage of human life. It will remind us that in the midst of our mourning, there is another reality that is firm, steadfast, enduring and will last forever.”
The acoustics in the Sacred Space are ideally suited to showcase the baby grand piano that is available for use and kept perfectly tuned.
Seating can be arranged in different configurations to accommodate either small groups or larger gatherings of up to 250 people. For even larger groups, additional seating can be set up in adjacent suites with full audio/video live feed.
Click here to visit the Sacred Space.
Hall of Colours
The National Memorial Centre also houses Beechwood’s inspirational “Hall of Colours” that exclusively serves the memorial needs of the Canadian Forces and our Veterans. The retired Colours (flags) of Canada’s army, naval and air force regiments are mounted at ceiling level. Following tradition, these flags will remain honourably suspended and untouched until, with the passing of time, they completely disintegrate.
Through the Hall’s beautiful memorial stained-glass window, called “Hope in a Broken World,” donated by the Canadian Military Chaplains’ Association, sunlight shines on a stately black granite plinth and the laid-up Colours of Canada’s Military Regiments.
Click here to visit the Hall of Colours
Visitation, Reception and Family Meeting Rooms
The Centre also houses attractive visitation rooms. These modern and spacious naturally lit rooms provide families with a warm, comfortable venue for their commemorative gatherings and special events.
Should families wish to include video memorial tributes, Beechwood’s visitation rooms feature large LCD flat-screen television monitors. Further, Beechwood encourages families to bring in items, such as individual photos and photo albums, to personalize and help celebrate the life of a loved one.