Ottawa's first and only dedicated Muslim cemetery, serving the Ottawa-Gatineau region. A registered Canadian charity and not-for-profit (Charitable Registration No. 894375187RR0001) with no shareholders or profit motive. Community fundraising began in 1994, land was acquired in 2005, a provincial cemetery licence under Islamic law was granted in 2008, and the first burials took place 4 January 2013. Phase I opened with approximately 5,000 grave spaces; Phase II opened January 2024 with 4,500 more (300+ burials in its first year); Phase III of 4,500 spaces is planned, with roughly 13 acres to be developed in phases - enough capacity for about 60 years allowing for population growth. Burial rights are exclusively for Muslims who testify to the Shahadatain, and graves are aligned to the Qibla (57 degrees true north). IMPORTANT for families: the cemetery itself does NOT perform ghusl (washing) or kafan (shrouding) - those are done at the mosques' own funeral facilities, and the FAQ names Jami Omar (Masjid Omar), Masjid Bilal, SNMC, Masjid Salaam and the Ottawa Muslim Association masjid as the five organisations that provide funeral preparation and coordinate with the cemetery. The cemetery handles the grave, interment, Qibla alignment, community Janaza alerts, grave registry search and memorial markers, and will help coordinate the janazah prayer with the family's preferred masjid. Lots are currently sold mainly at time of death because of limited availability; a limited number become available for pre-purchase as new sections are completed, and pre-ordering locks in the current price. Jami Omar's funeral page notes that the cemetery keeps an administrative office at 467 Laurier Ave West, Suite 216, separate from the burial grounds at 1668 Manotick Station Rd.
At a glance
Mosques that bury here
These organisations name this cemetery on their own funeral pages. That is confirmation from the masjid, not from the cemetery.
Arranging a burial here
- Contact the masjid handling the janazah first — most cemeteries deal with the funeral provider rather than the family directly.
- Ask what the plot costs and, separately, what opening and closing the grave costs. They are almost always billed apart, and the second surprises people.
- Ask whether the section faces qiblah and what markers are permitted.
- See what a Muslim burial costs across Canada before you commit — plot prices vary more than fourfold between cities.
Planning ahead, rather than in a crisis?
The two things a funeral coordinator asks a family for are the burial wishes and the will. Recording where your will is kept and working out the inheritance shares now spares your family both questions at the worst possible moment.
Where to go next
Sources for this listing
Every factual claim on this page traces to one of the references below. Details change — check the original source before relying on any figure, fee or legal position.
- Ottawa Muslim Cemetery - Home — muslimcemetery.ca
- Ottawa Muslim Cemetery - Contact — muslimcemetery.ca
- Ottawa Muslim Cemetery - Burial Services — muslimcemetery.ca
- Ottawa Muslim Cemetery - FAQ — muslimcemetery.ca
- Ottawa Muslim Cemetery - About Us — muslimcemetery.ca
- Ottawa Muslim Cemetery - Price List — muslimcemetery.ca