County approves land use for pet cremation services
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wheatland County council passed third reading for bylaw 2024-14, being a land use redesignation from agriculture general to direct control district, during the June 18 regular meeting.
The bylaw received all three readings following a presentation from the applicant, and an opportunity for the public to speak on the matter.
Bylaw 2024-14 redesignates 16.16 hectares of land in order to facilitate the development of a pet crematorium adjacent to an existing kennel.
Subject lands are located just over three kilometers east of the Hamlet of Cheadle, northeast of Township Road 240, and Range Road 260. Adjacent lands to the subject, are predominantly agricultural, farmsteads, and residential.
The application submitted to the county proposed to offer pet cremation and pet memorial services accessory to the pre-existing kennel.
Pet cremation will take place in an incinerator, with no burning pits or burials. Animal remains are to be brought to the site by the owners. Incinerated remains will be returned to the clients once the cremation process is complete, for private burial or dispersal.
“With the crematorium business, we would be offering full service, which would be either private or communal cremations, which means that you can either have your pet cremated by themselves or if you do not want their ashes back … they would be returned to the veterinarian clinic we are working with,” said Kyla Janes, one of the applicants who spoke before the county. “The exclusive use of a cremation chamber for only your pet, the cost of it is higher than in the communal, however, it allows you to have your pet returned to you in an urn, jewelry, or type of memorial box to privately scatter on your own terms.”
Janes explained communal cremation is more economical, as multiple animals are cremated together, and the remains are not returned to their respective owners.
It was also indicated to the county, emissions from cremation processes are very low, as secondary burners within the incinerator further reduce carbon dioxide produced from the initial process. Odours from the process were also explained to be very minimal.
“Currently, options for families on how to lay their pet to rest are limited and are also facilitated far from home,” she added. “In our local area, Wheatland County or the Town of Strathmore, there are no other cremation or funeral services for pets. Currently, everyone is actually transported to Calgary.”
Following the presentation from the applicants, there were no comments in support or in objection from the public.
Wheatland County council approved all three readings for the land use redesignation during the June 18 meeting.