Bill C-408

1st Session, 39th Parliament,

55-56 Elizabeth II, 2006-2007

house of commons of canada

BILL C-408

An Act to establish the National Cemetery of Canada

WHEREAS establishing a national cemetery in Canada’s capital would serve as a symbol of Canadian unity and pride and as a means of preserving and promoting Canada’s rich history and diversity;

WHEREAS over 75,000 Canadians from all walks of life have found their final resting place at Beechwood Cemetery since it was established in the City of Ottawa in 1873, including many prominent Canadians such as Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, Senator Maurice Lamontagne, Tommy Douglas (founder of the New Democratic Party and Father of Medicare) and Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn; military generals Andrew McNaughton, Henry Crerar and Charles Foulkes; social reformer and founder of the National Council of Women of Canada Roberta Tilton; engineer and scientist Sir Sanford Fleming; composer and musician Dr. Violet Archer; and poets Archibald Lampman, Arthur Bourinot and William Wilfred Campbell;

WHEREAS Beechwood Cemetery has dem- onstrated a steadfast commitment to respecting the linguistic duality of Canada by means of a consistent and balanced approach to the use and display of Canada’s two official languages;

WHEREAS Beechwood Cemetery reflects the multicultural, multi-faith nature of Canadian society, with sections reserved by the Chinese, Greek, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Polish, Lebanese and other ethno-cultural communities;

WHEREAS Beechwood Cemetery is home to the National Military Cemetery and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Memorial Cemetery;

WHEREAS Beechwood Cemetery is one of only four cemeteries in Canada designated as a National Historic Site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada;

AND WHEREAS Beechwood Cemetery is governed by The Beechwood Cemetery Foundation, a not-for-profit registered Canadian charity;

NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National Cemetery of Canada Act.

DESIGNATION OF THE NATIONAL CEMETERY OF CANADA

2. Beechwood Cemetery, situated on a tract of 160 acres in the northeastern part of the City of Ottawa bounded on the north by Hemlock Road, on the east by St. Laurent Boulevard, on the west by Beechwood Avenue and on the south by the boundary line that formerly divided the City of Ottawa and the City of Vanier, is hereby designated as the National Cemetery of Canada.