Council unanimously approved a new cemetery bylaw last week that township officials say will address ongoing concerns and also offer more choice to consumers.
The new bylaw will officially implement some changes already been put into practice at the Drayton and Hollen cemeteries, including:
– offering a plot choice to those purchasing interment rights (the current bylaw states purchases are made corresponding to the numerical order of cemetery plots);
– prohibiting double-depth burials due to the “instability of the soil” in the Drayton cemetery;
– releasing the township from responsibility for any damage to a casket or urn during a disinterment; and
– permitting the placement of vases and urns in the area designated for flower beds in front of marker foundations.
The bylaw will be effective upon approval by the Ministry of Consumer Services, which should take six to eight weeks.
