City to allow green burials
AREA OF ROYAL VIEW CEMETERY BEING CONSIDERED
Green trees, shrubs, lawns — much of a cemetery’s restful atmosphere is green.
And soon, southern Alberta families will be able to choose a “green” funeral.
Lethbridge is one of several Alberta cities planning to provide for simple burials, using wicker containers or other natural materials friendly to the environment. Cemeteries in Fort McMurray and Cold Lake have already provided “green” burial areas.
In Calgary and Edmonton, similar facilities are in the planning stages.
“We’ve had a number of people asking,” says Hiroshi Okubo, cemetery manager in Lethbridge.
“It’s for those who want to leave less of a footprint.”
So planners are looking at designating a part of Royal View Cemetery for that purpose.
“We’re looking at different options on how to do it.”
Funeral directors are becoming aware of the new alternative as well, he adds.
Returning to burial customs of an earlier time, “green” funerals may see the loved one wrapped in a simple shroud, then buried in a biodegradable container. No cosmetics, no “viewing” and no chemical preservatives are involved.
So no concrete liner would be required at the cemetery. And no monument or gravestone to mark the spot.
At Royal View, explains Okubo, some form of burial location signage is under consideration.
Very little burial space is available at the city’s three older cemeteries, he points out. The city is providing columbarium facilities for families that choose cremation. But others, aware of how much energy is used for cremation, prefer a simple burial.
For some southern Albertans, he adds, washing the body in preparation for burial is also part of the family’s way of saying good-bye.
While Lethbridge cemeteries have had no “green” funerals, Okubo hopes to see pathways built to the selected area in Royal View next spring. That could open the way for burials later in the year.
With these low-impact burials becoming more common across Canada, an organization has been formed to explain their merits. More information is available at
www.greenburialcanada.ca Follow @DMabellHerald on Twitter