The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said “An intelligent person is one who is constantly thinking about and preparing for death.“ (Tirmidhi)

Ottawa Muslims now have a cemetery to call their own. The Ottawa Muslim Cemetery officially opened on Jan. 4 2013.

The project is the result of almost two decades of effort on the part of a small but determined group of Ottawa Muslims who saw the need back in 1994 for a cemetery for Muslims run by Muslims.

For 57 years, Capital Memorial Gardens has been a fixture of Ottawa life. Tens of thousands of people from all faiths and backgrounds have found their final resting place there. You may have driven by the property at 3700 Prince of Wales Dr. (near Woodroffe Ave. in Barrhaven) and not even realized it to be a cemetery. With its 90-acres of rolling grass, water features and stately trees, it looks more like a golf course or botanical garden.

Capital Memorial has just opened the Garden of Paradise, a new section of their cemetery set aside specifically for the Muslim community. James Gregory, the Family Counsellor responsible, answers questions about this new service.