Town resumes Cemetery Bylaw debate
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Town of Strathmore council has deferred further discussions regarding Bylaw 24-21 being the Cemetery Bylaw to a future council meeting during the Sept. 4 regular meeting.
Town administration has also been directed to formally solicit interest from the Sacred Heart Parish in Strathmore regarding acquiring and operating the Catholic section of the Town of Strathmore Cemetery as permitted by the cemeteries act.
Administration has also been directed to include all relevant correspondents and meeting recordings of council discussions of the proposed cemetery bylaw to the Sacred Heart Parish as a representative cross section of the feedback received from local Catholic church members regarding how they wish to grieve their loved ones.
Further, town administration is to return to town council with a report for further direction upon receiving a response from the Sacred Heart Parish.
Prior to discussing motions to defer discussions regarding the bylaw, council opened the chamber floor to the public who were interested in providing feedback on the proposed bylaw.
As per the town’s public meeting agenda, it had been recommended to council by administration to pass all three readings of the proposed bylaw during the Sept. 4 meeting, as it was presented.
The draft of the bylaw which was presented before council included all requested amendments from the May 8, Committee of the Whole meeting, which also took into account recommendations of the town’s legal counsel.
A new proposed Cemetery Bylaw, 23-31, was brought before Town of Strathmore council in October 2023, which was presented alongside information about Strathmore’s cemetery.
Administration returned to council with an amended draft of the bylaw, Nov. 1, 2023, and at that time, sought third reading of the bylaw.
Currently, the Cemetery Bylaw 14-16 which is currently active, is noted by the town to be outdated. Definitions and internment methods have changed and require updating.
The town is indicated to not be financially sustainable with its cemetery operations and they need to be aligned with the Cemeteries Act and Regulations to ensure staff are managing records and disputes of ownership appropriately.
Maintenance of the Town of Strathmore cemetery is noted to have been challenging due to many grave decorations impeding maintenance and having caused liability issues with regards to safety in the cemetery.
An exact date has not yet been established for when the proposed bylaw will return before council. More information regarding the bylaw is available through the Town of Strathmore public meeting agenda for Sept. 4, as well as via the town’s posted meeting on their YouTube channel.