The grave business of running a cemetery fell onto Tay Township’s shoulders at the recent council meeting with cost options examined on how to best handle the matter.
A report on cemetery management resources was on the agenda following the transfer of ownership of the Waubaushene Protestant Cemetery earlier in the week, making it the third active cemetery owned and operated by the township in addition to the Waverley United Church Cemetery late last year and the Victoria Harbour Union Cemetery acquisition of 2019.
Three options were up for council discussion on how the municipality would handle the increased responsibilities related to administration, ground maintenance and interments.
Regarding administration, the anticipation of the clerk’s department handling the matter was raised during the 2024 budget talks last month when council tentatively approved cemetery management software sourced by modernization funding; the internal option thus was chosen by council for a three-year trial period.
Grounds maintenance was discussed by Coun. Gerard LaChapelle, who suggested the municipality handle it given his experience in grass-cutting at another cemetery where the hotter summer months wouldn’t require a cut, and paying a contractor in those months wouldn’t be cost efficient.
Operational services general manager Shawn Berriault agreed, noting council could use internal staff for a trial year to see if an in-house solution was feasible. But he requested patience if a wet season produced more grass than township staff could get around to cutting.
Deputy Mayor Barry Norris chimed in with his opinion that cemeteries could be considered a form of park or green space, and countered that purchased machinery to help maintain township cemeteries could also be used for other municipal purposes.
“The only thing different with a cemetery is you’re looking at tombstones and not children’s playgrounds. There’s a lot of people that take pleasure in going because they know it’s quiet, they can reflect,” Norris opined.
However, council declined to look further into hiring additional staff or purchasing new equipment.
On interments, the floor belonged to Norris – a former assistant manager for the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries.
Council and staff listened intently as Norris explained the funding of larger cemeteries, and how it related to the three smaller operations in Tay.
“What we are facing are operational issues, in which funds as such from these cemeteries are non-existent. In other words, there’s two accounts – there’s a care and maintenance account, and an operations account,” stated Norris.
He referenced the Care and Maintenance Fund, which allotted funds from each sale of inground graves, crypts, tombs and more to cemetery upkeep, at a calculation of either 40 per cent or a set dollar amount – whichever is the larger amount.
“When you get that money going to the care and maintenance fund, where the advantage comes back is the interest that is made on those monies goes to the operating (side). All of a sudden, you can cover all your operations within a cemetery.”
The interment option selected by council was to contract out to municipal service provider Sanderson Monument for the additional township-operated cemeteries, with a cemetery price list to be amended in the near future as necessary.
Information on Tay Township cemeteries, including bylaws and pricing, can be found on the cemeteries page of the municipal website.
The cemetery management resources and options report can be found in the agenda page on the Tay Township website.
Tay council meets for committee of the whole meetings every second Wednesday of the month, and regular council meetings every fourth Wednesday of the month. Archives and livestreams of council meetings are available through the Tay Township YouTube channel.
