Beechwood Cemetery Beechwood Cemetery , located in Ottawa , Ontario , is the National Cemetery of Canada . It is the final resting place for over 75 , 000 Canadians from all walks of life , such as important politicians like Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn and Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden , Canadian Forces Veterans , War Dead , members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and men and women who have made a mark on Canadian history . In addition to being Canada ' s National Cemetery , it is also the National Military Cemetery of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Memorial Cemetery . A woodland cemetery founded in 1873 , it is and is the largest cemetery in the city of Ottawa . Honours and designations . Beechwood has received various honours and designations because it is recognized as an example of 19th - century rural cemeteries and as a place of national significance and importance as a depository of Canadian history . It was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2001 . The cemetery has served as the National Military Cemetery of Canada since 2001 and has served since 2004 as the RCMP National Memorial Cemetery . Her Excellency , the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean , Governor General and Commander - in - Chief of Canada , opened the Beechwood National Memorial Centre on April 7 , 2008 . Pipe Major Sgt Tom Brown is the “ on call ” piper for the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood where he can perform up to a dozen outdoor funerals a year . Hall of Colours . When new colours ( flags ) are received or a unit is disbanded , colours are treated with utmost respect to military service and are never destroyed . After being carried on parade for the last time , the colour party presents the colours prior to the ceremony in which they are laid up for safekeeping in the Hall of Colours . Designed by Robertson Martin Architects , the Hall of Colours features a memorial stained glass window honouring Canadian military chaplains . The Hall of Colours was supported by a donation of $ 50 , 000 from Dominion Command of The Royal Canadian Legion . The retired colours of Canada ' s army , air force and naval regiments are mounted at ceiling level in the nine - sided Sacred Space , a Hall of Colours in the National Memorial Centre . History . Since the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 , soldiers who were killed in the line of duty and war veterans have been buried in Beechwood Cemetery . The cemetery contains the National Military Cemetery which consists of two sections managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission , a Veterans Section owned by Veterans Affairs Canada and the National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces , created in 2001 and owned and managed by the federal Department of National Defence . The first monument in the cemetery was erected by members of the 2nd Ottawa Field Battery in the 1870s . The sculptured sandstone cairn is dedicated to the memory of their former commanding officer , Lieutenant - Colonel John B . Turner . Erected in the 1870s by members of the 2nd Ottawa Field Battery , a sculptured sandstone statue on shaft is dedicated to the memory of a former commander , Captain James Forsyth . The cemetery inspired a classic Canadian poem " In Beechwood Cemetery " by Archibald Lampman with its memorable final line , " They know no season but the end of time . " Moses Chamberlain Edey designed the cemetery entrance gates in 1891 . The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for the graves of 98 Commonwealth ( mainly Canadian ) service personnel of World War I and 113 of World War II . The commission also maintains the Ottawa Cremation Memorial , in a shelter adjoining the newer of the veterans ' plots , which lists 26 personnel who were cremated in Canada and the U . S . A . in World War II . Noted for its Neo - Gothic architecture , the mausoleum at Beechwood was built in the early 1930s . The building was built by a company separate from the cemetery , Canada Mausoleums Ltd . After a few years of operation , in a time of depression and financial difficulties , the mausoleum became the property of the cemetery . The building features stained glass windows designed by noted stained glass artist James Blomfield . On March 5 , 2009 Environment Minister Jim Prentice introduced legislation to designate Beechwood as the National Cemetery of Canada due to " its location here in our national capital , Beechwood serves as a focal point for our national memorial events , including Remembrance Day , and it is an appropriate place to conduct state burials . " This was done to " serve as an important symbol of Canadian unity and pride and a means of preserving and promoting Canada ' s rich history and our diversity . " The bill was passed on March 6 . The bill received Royal Assent on April 23 , 2009 . The multi - faith aspects include a monument to Our Lady of Fatima , a pagoda in the Chinese section of the cemetery and an Aboriginal Tribute Garden . Interments . A full list of notable individuals buried at Beechwood can be found on the cemetery ' s website .