It gives me great pleasure to inform you that Bill C-17, An Act to recognize Beechwood Cemetery as the national cemetery of Canada, received Royal Assent on April 23, 2009. The Honourable Mr. Justice Thomas Albert Cromwell from the Supreme Court of Canada granted, on behalf of the Governor General, the status of National Cemetery to Beechwood Cemetery.

Two years ago, I introduced a private Member’s bill to designate Beechwood Cemetery, the final resting place for over 75,000 people from all socio-economic backgrounds and occupations, as Canada’s National Cemetery.

At the time, I had asked fellow MPs Royal Galipeau, Conservative MP for Ottawa—Orléans, and Paul Dewar, NDP MP for Ottawa Centre, to support my bill – which they did without hesitation, and I thank them for their backing.

To speed up the passage of the bill, I then urged the government to make it its own and I am very pleased that it agreed to do so by introducing Bill C-17, which is now law.

Established in 1873, Beechwood National Cemetery is the final resting place of many distinguished Canadians. It is also home to the National Military Cemetery, the RCMP Memorial Cemetery, as well as an Historic Site.

For further information, please visit www.beechwoodcemetery.com