Cemeteries a no-go zone for Pokemon Go

Hey Pokemon Go players, your augmented reality critters will soon be an endangered species in Hamilton cemeteries.

A motion from Coun. Sam Merulla in September directed staff to formally ask Pokemon Go’s developer, Niantic Corp., to remove municipal cemeteries from the game.

The corporation appears game to make the change, said a brief update report Monday.

“Niantic representatives have shown a willingness to co-operate with our request,” said the report, although it doesn’t indicate how many of the city 67 cemeteries might end up off-limits to augmented reality explorers.

The game, which relies on smartphone GPS technology, encourages monster-hunting players to explore locations all over the city in the quest to catch ’em all.

Exploring the city is great, said Merulla, but distracted critter-hunters are “disrespectful” — and sometimes a “public safety risk” if lazy hunters tour the cemetery by car.

He cited Woodlands cemetery as an example of a site that had spurred complaints over the summer when Pokemon mania hit its height.

It’s unclear how many diehard players will remain in the city by the time Pikachu and friends officially vacate local graveyards.

Digital trend-watchers were already suggesting in late summer the trend-setting game had peaked in terms of popularity.

Still, Pokemon has already had an impressive impact on city policy in just a few months. Coun. Matthew Green cited the game tongue-in-cheek as part of a successful effort to pilot free WiFi in Gage Park.

The city also used the game-driven exploration mania to pump up the profile of its museums, parks and waterfalls.

(It also issued a special warning to advise residents to avoid cemeteries, funeral homes, dark alleys and bodies of water. “Avoid trampling plants, poisonous species and cliffs,” a Twitter how-to guide recommended.)