Mausoleum running out of room

A major expansion of the city’s mausoleum is in the works as the number of spots in the existing building is close to running out.

Just 46 niches are left, according to a staff report presented to city council on Monday night and, based on an average of 38 being sold each year, they’ll will all be gone by early 2018.

In answer, a proposal to add 860 aluminum glass-front niches will be presented to council with a cost estimate during budget talks in January.

A memorial wall and scattering garden are also on the books but as unfunded projects that still need council’s approval before they can go ahead.

In all, the existing mausoleum holds 425 niches. There are also 125 crypts, of which about half remain open.

“It’s really the niches and the glass-front niches – anything from eye-level down is reserved or full at this time,” LeBrun told council.

“Anything that’s left is fairly up high and behind a marble shutter so they’re not the most desirable niches but they’ve been still selling because that’s all that’s available at this point.”

Thanks to the rising popularity of cremation as opposed to full burial, the cemetery has more than 50 years of land inventory remaining and the number is expected to rise, LeBrun said in the report.

He also provided a comparison between Prince George and seven other communities for rates charged for two types of burials.

For full-casket interment with a large flat marker, Prince George was the third least expensive at $4,552, and the least expensive for a cremation plot with a small flat marker at $1,361.