The principles that guide our stewardship, service, and long-term care of a historic Ottawa cemetery.
Our Purpose
Respectful stewardship with a clear public mission
The Bells Corners Cemetery Board exists to care for a historic burial ground that is both a place of remembrance and a meaningful record of community history in Ottawa's west end.
Drawing on the historic roots of the Bells Corners Union Cemetery site, our Board works to maintain the grounds, document interments, support families, and preserve the stories carried by monuments, markers, and burial records. Our approach is practical, compassionate, and shaped by the obligations of a registered Canadian charity.
Our Mission
Caring for the past, serving the present
The Bells Corners Cemetery Board is dedicated to the respectful stewardship of one of Ottawa's historic burial grounds. We uphold the dignity of those interred within our grounds, preserve the cultural and genealogical heritage of the Bells Corners community, and provide compassionate, professional support to families making burial and memorial arrangements.
Our mission also includes the orderly care of cemetery records, the maintenance of monuments and landscape features, and the preservation of the cemetery as a lasting public heritage asset for Ottawa residents, researchers, and future generations.
Our Vision
A heritage landscape sustained for generations
We envision a future in which the Bells Corners Cemetery remains beautifully maintained, historically documented, and widely respected as an enduring place of peace, remembrance, and learning. We want every burial record to be easier to trace, every aging monument to receive informed attention, and every visitor to experience a sense of dignity on the grounds.
Our long-term vision is not simply preservation for preservation's sake. It is to keep this place active in the cultural memory of Ottawa so that local history, family connections, and community identity continue to be visible in a careful and accessible way.
Core Values
How we carry out our work
Every service decision, maintenance project, and records request is shaped by a practical set of values.
☙
Respect
We treat every resting place, family, and visitor with dignity, regardless of circumstance or era.
☯
Integrity
We manage records, inquiries, and governance responsibilities carefully and transparently.
🏭
Heritage
We preserve monuments and local history because they are part of Ottawa's cultural memory.
👥
Community
We serve families, neighbours, genealogists, and heritage researchers with equal care.
🌿
Stewardship
We maintain the grounds for both present-day visitors and those who will inherit this site later.
♡
Compassion
We understand that practical cemetery arrangements often take place during difficult moments of grief.
Board Governance
Volunteer leadership with a long-term public duty
The Bells Corners Cemetery Board is guided by volunteer governance rooted in service to the community. Board members oversee policy, records stewardship, care planning, and regulatory obligations while working to ensure that burial operations remain respectful and sustainable.
Volunteer Board oversight focused on public trust and continuity of care.
Administrative coordination for plot, records, and service inquiries.
Maintenance planning that balances active use with historical preservation.
Ongoing attention to record integrity, archival needs, and family communication.
Ontario Framework
Working within the provincial regulatory environment
Burial and cemetery services in Ontario operate within the framework of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002, administered in part through the Bereavement Authority of Ontario. That legal context reinforces the importance of accurate records, clear consumer information, and responsible cemetery care.
For families, that means our Board approaches inquiries with documentation, consistency, and an understanding of cemetery responsibilities that extend well beyond a single burial service.
