Stephen Thorne, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: August 22, 2018
For decades now, Ian Guthrie has explored the grounds administered by Beechwood Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services, absorbing their serenity, history and fresh air.
He’s long appreciated the fact that Beechwood, with 160 acres of gardens, monuments and old-growth forest, is more than just a cemetery.
“It’s not a storage place for the deceased, it’s a place for the rest of us, where we can come and remember people who have gone before us with honour and dignity,” says Guthrie, a retired schoolteacher.
“It’s also a great place for recreational activities in the sense of re-creation, in that you feel better when you leave than you did before you arrived.”
Ten years ago, the Friends of Beechwood helped launch a tour program at Beechwood. Back then, there were just two volunteers, Jacques Faille and Guthrie, who conducted group tours whenever they were booked. Now there are six volunteers, and tours are conducted at 1 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month from April until November, rain or shine.