our history

In January 1996, Fairview Funeral & Cremation Services Inc., at 1092 Ogilvie Rd., Gloucester successfully received their Ontario Funeral Establishment License with a goal to provide the citizens of Ottawa a unique choice when it came to funerals. Fairview was founded by President, Michael Sheedy and his wife Shelley and the mandate was to offer high quality funeral services with a budget in mind to enable families to get services at costs that minimize the financial burden some families experience at the time of the death of a loved one. “Shelley and I simply wanted to open a funeral home that was ‘cost sensitive’” states Sheedy.

Success came quite quickly to Fairview as it offered no fewer than 6 rental casket options and tailored its services towards the rapidly growing desire for cremation. The first of its kind in Canada.

Looking at other industries such as hotels, restaurants, etc. they all seemed to have tiered the marketplace in order to offer people a choice and these options for funeral homes was absent and choices were minimal. Fairview filled that gap.

Fairview operated at 1092 Ogilvie Rd., until the fall of 2001, when it moved to the current location at 259 St. Patrick St., in Ottawa’s Byward Market and continues to provide residents of Ottawa cost sensitive options when requiring the services of a funeral home. At that time, it was decided to expand its Canada wide option and became part of the Canadian First Memorial network of funeral homes offering services throughout Alberta and British Columbia. First Memorial Funeral Services – Fairview Chapel’s mantra has always been “Service, Flexibility & Cost” and we continue to “create the benchmark by which all services will be measured” says Sheedy.

The First Memorial Funeral Services – Fairview Chapel building was founded in 1910 by Edmon Gauthier and was referred to as Maison Funéraire Gauthier. In 1941, Maison Funéraire Racine, Landreville was established by Horace Racine and Albert Landreville, serving the Francophone community of Lowertown, Ottawa. Marcel Robert joined Racine in 1947 and the name changed to Maison Funéraire Racine & Robert. In 1966, Racine and Robert purchased Maison Funéraire Gauthier to form Maison Funéraire Racine, Robert & Gauthier.