Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Solemn And Serene

You've probably seen on the news about the flooding in Ontario and Quebec. Since I'm in the midst of this series, with the Tulip Festival to follow, I decided to do a couple of posts with my flood photos over at my writer's blog, today and on Saturday. Click on the icon at the upper right to go on over there and check it out, and leave a comment. 

The stretches of Beechwood Cemetery are well organized, with paths to follow, and each section numbered. Maps provided at the reception center are quite helpful as the visitor walks through.


This rather large tombstone is surrounded by others in the family name- Booth. The most prominent member of the family, J.R. Booth, the Ottawa lumber baron whose life straddled the 19th and 20th centuries, is buried here among his relations.


This Freemason marker caught my eye, as did the crypt that follows it.


A Sherman tank is placed here, at one of two sections in the cemetery that make up the National Military Cemetery. This section is the older one. Rows of graves for veterans who survived their time in combat can be found here. Plaques can be found at a nearby sheltered spot overlooking their graves. The Dutch plaque surprised me, but is a nod to the fact that free Dutch servicemen who escaped the German occupation did meet an end in training incidents here in Canada before they could return home.

35 comments:

  1. Thanks William. I like that sherman tank

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  2. I really like finding out about the names on the tombstones. Great photos.

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  3. The Sherman tank bares an amazing presence in the military cemetery!

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  4. I'm surprised to see a tank placed at a cemetery.

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  5. ...your military stones have a very attractive style.

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  6. There is a big tank in the North York cemetery in Toronto. It always struck me as a funny thing to find in a cemetery. Guess the idea has caught on to other cities!

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  7. This cemetery has been so thoughtfully designed, with some impressive tombstones.

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  8. Oh, yeah! Every cemetery needs a tank.

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  9. I wish all cemeteries had maps. The tank certainly would make it easy to find the military area!

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  10. Now that is a cemetery I'd love to feature in my Church Explorer Blog, a wonderful well laid out one to walk around. The Commonwealth War graves are laid out like on the UK and other countries. Is the a cross of Victory

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  11. I'm also surprised to see a tank there.

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  12. It does look solemn and serene, I love your photo's against that blue sky.
    Not sure a tank should be there though! But it is!

    All the best Jan

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  13. You nailed the title of this one.

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  14. Some very impressive tombstones and surprised to see a tank there.

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  15. I have always enjoyed walking through cemeteries, but then I also read obituaries, so they go together. Thanks for this impressive walk. I did check out the flooding photos on your other blog...very unfortunate.

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  16. One wonders about some of the huge and gaudy grave markers?

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  17. I've been in some of these large cemeteries and one really does need a map to find one's way around! It is a beautiful memorial ground with great significance for many people.

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  18. @Cloudia: it's one of several military markers around the graves, including field artillery.

    @Debs: thank you!

    @Linda: it is a good addition.

    @Marleen: I think it fits there.

    @Tom: the concept for them still carries on, a century after the First World War, and they are kept up.

    @Francisco: thank you.

    @Halcyon: there must be enough military graves there to qualify.

    @Gemma: Beechwood left me quite impressed.

    @Revrunner: now I'm wondering if Arlington has something like that.

    @Janey: this one's a big one, so it needed the maps. I was glad the offices were open.

    @Bill: there is- I'll have it in tomorrow's post.

    @Karl: it is quite the addition!

    @Jan: it was a very pleasant day that day.

    @Whisk: it felt appropriate.

    @Nancy: this place has a lot of history.

    @Beatrice: Beechwood was quite peaceful.

    @Red: that Freemason one was weird.

    @Lowell: I should have visited this place before.

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  19. That tank is a bit of a surprise to me.

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  20. I love visiting cemeteries. Nice trip!

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  21. actually i thought the flooding up there was in Montreal? right? i swear that is what our news said around here? i will go google it. so serene ... that is a great word it ... nice! ( ;

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  22. Stunning memorials in the first picture, and mausoleum( 5) is really awesome and the second last picture is beautiful.
    I have seen the floods on television. They are really bad. Compassion.

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  23. The military section of this cemetery is very impressive.

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  24. The tank is an unusual sight to see in a cemetery. Wonderful photos William

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  25. @Sharon: it was a surprise when I saw it.

    @Jennifer: some people find cemeteries off putting. I find them fascinating.

    @Beth: the flooding is down in Montreal, but all along the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Valleys as well. The Ottawa River feeds into the St. Lawrence at Montreal, and any river water that feeds into the Ottawa eventually ends up there. We need the dry weather of the last couple of days to continue for a couple of weeks.

    @Orvokki: on the Ottawa side of the river, there's some flooding in the west end and the east end, places called Constance Bay and Cumberland. I was intrigued by that crypt!

    @Lauren: I thought so myself.

    @Bill: thank you!

    @Klara: I thought so!

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  26. I like that you do series of photos like this. I still think you could do a book of them.

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  27. The tank is certainly a unique way to mark those sections of the cemetery!

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  28. The cemertry in our area has nothing like that.
    Coffee is on

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  29. This is lovely to see. Such a beautiful final resting place.

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  30. Cemeteries of all kinds, but especially military one, hold a fascination for many people.

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  31. A tank! That is perfect for a military cemetery. I wish they did things like that here.

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  32. @Mari: thanks!

    @Norma: I'm thinking of doing so.

    @Lois: it's a fitting addition.

    @Dora: it's an impressive cemetery.

    @Denise: it is indeed.

    @Kate: it does for me.

    @Pat: it works well there.

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