Introduction & History
Woodlawn Memorial Park, formerly known as Woodlawn Cemetery, is an 80-acre historic cemetery located in the north end of the city of Guelph. Opened in 1854, the 150-year-old memorial park is a proud member of the Guelph Historical Society and enjoys a working partnership with Guelph Museums.
Woodlawn is dedicated to preserving the important and beautiful cemetery which has been entrusted to us as a non-profit organization.
Several public services and events are held throughout the year. It is the home of Spirit Walk (click link for photo gallery), an annual award winning outdoor theatre event and Blue Christmas, a unique celebration held in the evening. We sing carols as we walk the pathways of the cemetery by candlelight.
Of the hundreds of trees in the park, many are more than a century old and several specimens are unique to the city. We strive to preserve Woodlawn's natural beauty and its history. Trees are replaced as needed with rare and unusual specimens. The winding pathways through our grounds serve joggers and walkers alike. Woodlawn Memorial Park and Arboretum is the only cemetery on the Trans Canada Trail.
Woodlawn Memorial Park provides a number of options for both traditional and cremation interment. Woodlawn Memorial Park is a member of CANA ( Cremation Association of North America) and OACFP ( Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals). Our dedicated staff is here to serve families who require cemetery and related services. You can turn to us at your time of need, for cremation information, for memorial or marker purchases or for assistance at an unfamiliar and difficult time. You can join us for public events throughout the year - some sad, some entertaining, for theatre, for history and for remembrance.
Located at the north end of the city of Guelph on the corner of Woolwich Street and Woodlawn Road, our Memorial Park is open to the public during daylight hours. A cemetery map is located in the documents section of the GuelphArts portion of the Woodlawn website-- where you can also find our flowerbed order form, and our latest newsletters.
History of Woodlawn Memorial Park
The History of Woodlawn Cemetery by Frank H. Cooke tells us that when Guelph was founded on April 23rd, 1827, the Canada Company
"caused to be laid down upon the original plan of the town a parcel of land to be known at the Public Burying Ground, with other lands and certain lanes within the limits of Wyndham, Quebec, Yarmouth and Woolwich streets".
John Galt also set aside a plot of rising ground for the Anglican Church where they might build a church. The church was built in 1833. Around the church was a fenced in church yard and it was used as a burial ground. In those early days of the community, two cemeteries existed within 150 yards of each other and the location of both was in the heart of the city.
It soon became apparant that the buryng grounds of the church yard could no longer provide the needs of the community. A church committee and the Councils of the Township of Guelph and the Town found grounds on the Elora Road ( Woolwich Street). Two cemeteries were established: the Union Cemetery named for the joint ownership of the town and township of Guelph, and the St. George's cemetery. The bodies were removed from downtown to the new cemeteries.
The first burial in Union Cemetery was that of James Scroggie in January of 1854. It was not until 1925 that the name was changed to Woodlawn Cemetery. In 2004, in celebration of 150 years of service and to reflect the kind of services we provide to the public, the name was changed again to Woodlawn Memorial Park.