Upcoming Events
Tee Off for Jack: 5th Annual Jack Ferguson Golf Tournament, Saturday, July 12, 2025
Swing in Jack’s memory – and tee up for change
Each summer, the Jack Ferguson Foundation hosts a heartfelt golf tournament to honour the life of Jack Ferguson and raise funds for local causes.
This tournament is held in loving memory of Jack Ferguson, who died of cancer at the age of 21. Jack was a university basketball player in the U.S. and a pre-med student with a calm, compassionate nature. His warmth and quiet strength continue to inspire those who knew him.
His parents, Vallena and Hugh, organize this annual event to celebrate their son’s life and bring the community together for a meaningful cause.
After the death of their son, Vallena and Hugh sought grief support at Bereaved Families of Ottawa. The funds raised from this tournament are being donated back to BFO Ottawa as a way of giving thanks and supporting others navigating profound loss. We are deeply grateful for their generosity and ongoing commitment.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
Time: 10:15 Banquet 4:30
Location: Manderly on the Green - 5920 Prince of Wales Dr, North Gower, ON K0A 2T0
Fee: 18 holes, cart and dinner - $120; 18 holes and cart $80; Dinner only $40
Butterfly Puzzle Fundraiser - $30.00
This puzzle was created exclusively for BFO Ottawa. The puzzle has 1000 pieces and there are 33 global species of butterflies that represent Hope and Transformation. To purchase a puzzle and make arrangements for pickup in various parts of the city, please contact Micheline Lepage at michelinel@bfo-ottawa.org or call (613) 791-1261
Purchase can be made by e-transfer to the email office@bfo-ottawa.org, or via the secure website Canada Helps by credit card.
Past Events
Butterfly Memorial Event, 8 June 2025, 3:00-4:30 PM
Release a Live Butterfly in memory of a loved one...
Each spring, Bereaved Families of Ottawa holds a special community memorial and fundraising event.
The event begins with a memorial ceremony in the Sacred Space inside the Beechwood National Memorial Center. This part of the event features live music, with speakers on hand, and an opportunity for participants to speak the names of their loved ones who have died.
From the memorial ceremony, we move to the hill overlooking the garden and pond, to share a symbolic release of live painted lady butterflies. These beautiful butterflies are a symbol of hope and transformation, and the simultaneous release of them is magical.
More Details....
We are looking for volunteers to help with registration and refreshments. Please let us know if you are interested.
You will receive a tax receipt for $25 of the ticket price of $45.
There is an opportunity for you to donate to assist those who cannot pay for registration (no one is turned away). For more information, to register offline or if you would like assistance to attend, contact us at 613-567-4278 or office@bfo-ottawa.org.
100% of the ticket price proceeds goes towards providing BFO's grief support programs.
Our heartfelt thank you to our sponsor, Beechwood Cemetery Foundation, for graciously hosting this event.
--Sunday, 8 June 2025 from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM, The Beechwood Cemetery 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, ON K1L 8A6--
Our Guest Speaker (Rob Boyd)
Rob is the CEO of the Ottawa Inner City Health. He has been working at the intersection of homelessness, mental and substance use health care in Ottawa for over 35 years. On September 18th, 2013, Rob’s son, Connor, age 21, died in a crash when the OC Transpo bus he was on collided with a VIA Rail train in Barrhaven. Rob will talk about his grief journey from early days until today, highlighting what he has found most helpful. Rob lives in the country and likes working around his property and spending time outdoors.
Jack Ferguson Memorial Golf Tournament
We would like to give a big thank you to Hugh and Vallena Ferguson for selecting BFO Ottawa as their charity donation recipient at this year's Jack Ferguson Memorial Golf Tournament of July 21, 2024! It was an honour for our BFO community to be included in this day of fun, sharing of memories, golf and refreshments. Funds raised will help BFO Ottawa to continue to offer peer support programs in the Ottawa region. Again, a heartfelt thank you!
Candlelight Remembrance Event 2024
The 2024 Candlelight Remembrance Event will be held on November 24th at 3:00PM.
This 32nd annual Candlelight Remembrance Event is an afternoon for people to be supported by a circle of community to honour their grief and commemorate the people in their lives who have died.
Join us as we spend meaningful time together to cherish, remember and celebrate our person through ceremony, hope and inspiration.
The afternoon includes:
- Slideshow photo tribute of your person
- Speaker, Storytelling & Musical accompaniment
- Candlelight remembrance ceremony
- Personalize a memory ornament to take home
- Reception and light refreshments to follow
Our guest speaker this year is Michelline Lepage and she will be speaking about her grief journey on the 10th death anniversary of her son Bruce.
Micheline participated in the BFO programs in 2015 after the loss of her son in 2014. She is a trained facilitator who supports others who have lost a child and parents. Micheline joined the BFO Board in January 2021 and took on the Board Chair position in November 2022. She has held various positions with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) among other companies. She retired in 2019 from a career in information technology and is now dedicating her time to BFO Ottawa which is near and dear to her heart.
This meaningful event raises funds for BFO Ottawa. 100% of your registration goes towards our unfunded grief support programs.
There is an opportunity for you to donate to assist those who cannot pay for registration (no one is turned away).
For more information, to register offline or if you would like assistance to attend, contact us at 613-567-4278 or office@bfo-ottawa.org
Our heartfelt thank you to our sponsor, Beechwood Cemetery Foundation, for graciously hosting this event.
Click the button below to register!
