Hay River approves new cemetery worth nearly $1 million

The Town of Hay River is moving ahead with plans to turn a field on the community’s southern edge into a new cemetery at a projected cost of $992,680.

Patrick Bergen, the town’s director of infrastructure and planning services, said even “maxed out,” the existing cemetery likely only has capacity for a few more years.

Bergen said that cemetery can’t be expanded as it’s bordered on two sides by privately held land, by the highway at its entrance and by a floodway at the back.

The town says it recognizes residents are “emotionally attached” to the existing site – which will still be maintained – but a new facility is the most cost-effective and long-term approach, even at a cost of almost $1 million, which is triple the original estimate.

At a council meeting earlier this month, town manager Glenn Smith estimated the existing Riverside Cemetery had only 34 available plots, with another 32 open plots having already been reserved by families.

The town thinks it could add 24 more plots if it had to, but Smith thinks that would only extend the facility’s life by a year, based on the town’s average of 25 burials annually.

Councillor Tom Lakusta raised concerns about the costs involved and inquired about the potential for redesigning the old cemetery to maximize the space.

“Our budget is pretty tight,” Lakusta said during the meeting, noting “there might be more attractive and cheaper options out there that haven’t been fully explored.”

Councillor Robert Bouchard, on the other hand, said the town would need two cemeteries in the long run.

He said while the new cemetery may face some public criticism, particularly from those unable to reserve plots close to their family members, it was important for meeting the community’s needs. 

“I know we need it eventually down the road, whether that’s one year, two years or four years from now,” Bouchard said. “We can’t really stop people from passing away.”

Deputy mayor Keith Dohey said even if the town had the option to add more plots near the river in the old cemetery, he wouldn’t support it as floodwater reached the site a few years ago.

He said a new cemetery would offer an opportunity to put bylaws in place for easier maintenance. 

Council ultimately approved the proposal.

The chosen site of the new cemetery is a field surrounded by forest opposite a Department of Environment and Climate Change compound just south of Hay River’s new town.

The field is currently used only as a municipal snow dump.

That land is owned by the town, large enough to accommodate a cemetery and has good drainage, Bergen said, adding that a public consultation will take place over the project as the lot must be rezoned.

Bergen acknowledged the price tag was “expensive,” saying much of the cost would go toward clearing the land and some elements of the quote would be reviewed to try to save money where possible.

The Town of Hay River has repeatedly stated its infrastructure budget for the next decade is significantly underfunded.

Bergen said the town had already set aside $300,000 for some of the work to create a new cemetery and $100,000 for work on the old cemetery. He said the town will look to “a number of sources” to make up the difference, including grants and the town’s own capital reserves.

He said the goal is to have the new site prepared in the next year, allowing the town some time before the old cemetery’s remaining plots are used to make sure plans for an appropriate transition are in place.