At 3:00 pm on Sunday, November 30, 2025 Bereaved Families of Ontario – Ottawa Region (BFO Ottawa) will hold its annual Candlelight Remembrance service at Beechwood, Canada’s National Cemetery. With just a few weeks to go, the planning committee has been hard at work organizing this important day.
The guest speaker will be Caitlin Morrison, sister of Matthew Perry, known for his role on the popular sitcom – Friends. Caitlin is the daughter of Keith Morrison, a former Canadian broadcast journalist. She is also the Executive Director of the Matthew Perry House on the grounds of the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. Caitlin will speak about her journey and grief following the death of her brother Matthew and carrying forward his legacy to build the Matthew Perry House in Ottawa. The Matthew Perry House will support individuals on their journey to recovery from addiction and mental health challenges.
During the service, there will be the opportunity to listen to music by guest pianist, Scott Voelzing, inspirational poetry and words from volunteers, as well as listen to special guest speakers. For the final part of the ceremony, candles will be lit in honour of loved ones while a video montage of pictures plays on the screen. The candles are meant to connect everyone who is experiencing grief with a community of supporters. BFO Ottawa hopes the symbol of light burning bright, just like the love for those we have lost, will bring comfort to those in attendance and at home.
Participants and guests will have the opportunity to submit names and photos of their loved ones when registering, which will be displayed onscreen in a special event presentation.
This service is a fundraiser for BFO Ottawa which helps fund Support and Share programs, BFO’s closed groups and to continue providing support to those grieving the loss of a loved one. You can view and register for the Candlelight Remembrance service on the BFO website at this link – bfoottawa.org. Registration deadline is November 28th at 4:00pm.
