The City of Yorkton will be expanding its current cemetery location rather than creating a new one.
City Council had previously approved the expansion of the current Cemetery in order to accommodate future needs as the current Cemetery is nearing capacity, explained René Richard, Manager of Engineering with the City during the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday. The current Cemetery is approximately 5 years from being sold out and an expansion would meet the community’s cemetery needs for the next 20+ years.
By moving forward with the expansion the de-registration process can then begin on the Gladstone Cemetery so those lands become available for future development, added Richard.
The project consists of expanding the existing Cemetery to the south and will accommodate approximately 1,265 casket lots, including a woodland pathway through a cremation garden with approximately 125 cremation lots and provide improved visual screening for the residential area to the west of the cemetery, detailed a report circulated to Council.
The work will be co-ordinated through the Planning and Engineering Department and will begin soon after notification of award and will take a number of weeks to complete. Administration will work with the Contractor to ensure funeral services are accommodated and that a respectful environment is provided for those celebrations of life.
The project was tendered in 2014, however no bids were received at that time so the project was re-tendered in the spring of 2015. Two complete bids were received with the lowest tender from S. Wilson Construction at $532.274.
The established budget for the project had been $570,000 said Richard, adding water and swear connections to a proposed new storage building was estimated to cost an additional $50,000, available from the budgeted funds.
Council was unanimous in award the contract to S. Wilson Construction in the amount of $506,927, and furthermore, that Administration be authorized to enter into a contract with S. Wilson Construction for the required water and sewer connection for a future building at the Cemetery, at an estimated cost of $50,000.00.
