Allowing for special character of cemetery headstones is a matter of concern for Texada Island’s regional board director.
At Powell River Regional District’s committee of the whole meeting, Thursday, July 17, David Murphy, Area D director, said that existing cemeteries have diversity in character and in the structure of stones, plaques and memorials at the gravesites.
Powell River Regional District is in the process of reviewing its cemetery bylaw. Colin Palmer, regional district chair, said the committee of the whole was presented an initial version of the bylaw, with the full version to be presented to the Powell River Regional District board in August.
“It’s giving us time to go over it,” he said.
Murphy said there is a move in the bylaw to standardize but he would appreciate flexibility. He said, for example, there is a grave on Texada Island and the headstone is just a large boulder of Texada flower rock. People admire it, he said.
Maximum sizes and dimensions are stipulated in the existing bylaw and in its revision. Brenda Paquin, manager of administrative services, said she was not sure the regional district could make allowances.
“It would be hard for our staff to say yes to this person and no to that person without setting a precedent,” she said.
Patrick Brabazon, Area A director who was chairing the meeting, said the bylaw has no flexibility.
“We would have to change the bylaw to provide the flexibility,” he said.
Al Radke, regional district chief administrative officer, said it is important to understand that rules and makeup of the memorials is for the regional district staff maintaining the cemetery grounds.
“If they have to, all of a sudden, make 90 degree turns, and 45 degree angles to maintain the grounds, then you are putting more pressure on them than if they have minimal curves and angles,” Radke said. “A lot of this has to do with consistency so the maintenance of the grounds can be done systematically.”
Palmer said from experience, there has to be a range of discussion on Texada Island before anything is done with the cemetery. Palmer told Murphy the board was not going to decide on what Murphy was suggesting.
“I think you’ve got to get the island to tell us what they want to do with the cemetery,” said Palmer. “I can tell you that our cemetery in Kelly Creek, which is a private one, will allow anybody to put anything on the grave space area. If they do anything outside the area where the mowing goes on, then it’s not allowed.
“Some of the features there are absolutely stunning. If you want to see how it’s done, go down to Kelly Creek.”
Murphy said he thinks that type of treatment is attractive and in character. He asked the committee of the whole to delay the decision on the bylaw so he could solicit feedback from the island residents.
The committee, however, passed a recommendation that it had carried out initial review and comment on the bylaw. A full version of the bylaw, including a proposed new fee schedule, will be presented to the regional district’s committee of the whole in August and forwarded to the regional board for adoption.
