Canada's Anglo-Celtic Connections: OGS Ottawa Branch February Meeting

21 February 2019

OGS Ottawa Branch February Meeting

Here is the schedule for Saturday 23 February at the City of Ottawa Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive (Room 115)

10:30 – 12:00: Back to Basics - Getting Started
Mike More will lead a session for those still struggling after that DNA test for Christmas or just confused about where to begin.

13:00 – 15:00: Beechwood: The Creation of Canada's National Cemetery, 1873-1930
Presented by Glenn Wright.
Beechwood is the final resting place for over 75,000 Canadians from all walks of life. Established in 1873 on a 160-acre tract of land on the outskirts of Ottawa, part of the original McPhail farm (100 acres) and the MacKay/Keefer estates, the original shareholders of The Beechwood Cemetery Company of Ottawa were prominent residents, led by Joseph M. Currier.

This presentation will focus on the early history of Beechwood which transformed the property into what the Ottawa Daily Citizen described as “God’s acre”, a cemetery of unsurpassed beauty, a park like setting with winding roadways, extensive woods and gardens. Beechwood evolved through the years to meet the needs of Ottawa’s citizens, it met the demands of the First World War and added the impressive Mausoleum in 1930.

Cemeteries and their records have long been regarded as significant resources for family history and genealogy. Beechwood is no exception. Walking through the grounds, searching through the Interment Registers or consulting the monumental inscriptions prepared by Ottawa Branch can be rewarding in many ways. Understanding its creation and early development will, hopefully, enhance our appreciation of Beechwood as a significant place of memory, heritage and history.

Glenn Wright has diverse interests, including family history, the First World War, women in the military and Beechwood Cemetery. He has been associated with several of the historical walking tours of the cemetery, his first was in 1998. He is active in a number of heritage initiatives in Ottawa, including Ottawa Branch OGS, the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa and the Historical Society of Ottawa.