Dedication Centre
Nestled in Williamsburg Cemetery’s tranquil natural setting, the Dedication Centre with its winding pathway and stone exterior, is the centre piece of the cemetery’s perfectly manicured grounds.

It’s picture perfect from the outside, but inside, it’s even more lovely. Its 50-foot ceiling and expansive wall-to-wall windows allow an abundance of natural light to spill in, as well as providing a view of a picturesque pond with cascading fountains and adjacent wetlands.

Originally built in the 1800s to serve a Mennonite Church, it was originally situated along Toronto’s waterfront. However, it had become run down and was slated to be demolished. Fortunately, a private Waterloo-based company came to the rescue, purchasing the chapel’s original main support beams and roof deck, enabling the building to be reconstructed and brought back to its original beauty. The City of Kitchener then purchased the materials in 1997 and rebuilt the chapel at Williamsburg.

Almost every material used to reconstruct the chapel has been reclaimed. The gorgeous Douglas fir wood on the chapel’s floor and walls was salvaged from Newland Textile plant, that was originally built in the 1800's in Cambridge, Ontario, that was about to be destroyed. Its antique stained glass windows were recovered from a Waterloo church that was also about to be torn down.

Today, Williamsburg Cemetery’s Dedication Centre serves several purposes. It provides a magically simplistic, yet charming setting for weddings, it offers a tranquil atmosphere for memorial services and the centre provides a unique indoor interment option with its glass/bronze fronted cremation niches.