If the only sure things in life are death and taxes, a growing community needs to consider the capacity of its cemetery.
Battleford town councillors have agreed an expansion design proposal should go ahead.
Last week, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jordan Schechtel recommended council accept a proposal by landscape, architecture and community planning firm Crosby Hanna and Associates of Saskatoon to proceed with designs for the cemetery expansion. From conceptual design, through details design and tender administration, the cost is expected to range from $9,000 to $11,000, not including costs such as site visits or construction administration services which will likely be necessary once the project actually commences.
In his report, Schechtel said the Town has not yet done any planning for the parcel of land south of the cemetery that was acquired in the summer of 2015 with the intent of expanding into that location. Conceptual and detailed drawings need to be completed to assist the Town with budgeting and long term planning, he wrote.
The Battleford cemetery is located off Highway 16 approximately one mile east of the town. It was established in 1885 but has had several renovations and improvements done over the years, reported Schechtel, with the latest being the installation of a columbarium, which was added in 2013.
In recent years, it became clear either major slope stabilization measures would have to be undertaken to prevent a number of graves, including those of pioneer residents and Mounted Police members, from sliding down the hill toward the North Saskatchewan River, or the graves would have to be moved.
In 2013, the provincial government confirmed it would provide half a million dollars in provincial disaster assistance to address the slumping issues at the Battleford Cemetery.
The decision was made to move the graves and, in 2015, the Town began work on the relocation project, which included moving 73 graves from at risk locations to other plots in the cemetery. Work on phase two of the project will recommence this spring with 80 remaining graves scheduled to be moved. The number of relocations for phase three and four are still being determined, but it could be as high as 130, according to Schechtel.
The grave relocation projects has increased the urgency for the Town to begin considering expansion plans for the current cemetery, said Schechtel. Previous administration contacted Crosby Hanna and Associates at the end of 2015 to request an estimate on conception and detailed design services for the expansion.
While Schechtel said there are probably several years worth of life left in the current cemetery, Councillor Susan McLean Tady moved the Town go ahead with the proposal and put the cost into this year’s budget as a way of planning ahead.
“Then they can go ahead with starting to put trees around it and moving forward,” she said.
“The sooner the better,” said Councillor Gordon Yarde.
How much the actual expansion will cost will be one of the questions the design process will address. At this point, Crosby and Hanna isn’t prepared to suggest a figure, said Schechtel, and neither is he. He did say, however, he thinks the proposal cost is “very reasonable.”
