Waterloo city council approves increased cemetery prices

Waterloo's city council approved increased prices for area cemeteries during their meeting Monday night.

According to the report prepared by cemetery services manager Bryce Crouse, the fee adjustments will allow the department to meet its 2017 operating budget, provide funds for ongoing improvements and development and help the body reach their long-term goal of establishing an adequate maintenance fund.

The changes to individual prices throughout the list vary, but the adjustments represent a 3.1 per cent average increase overall, including an approximately 3.72 per cent cost hike for products and services associated with traditional casket interment and an average 2.71 per cent increase for cremation interment.

"Traditional casket burials are fairly land consumptive so we're structuring those prices a little more reflective of what the value of land is so cremation options become a bit more attractive," Crouse said Tuesday.

All price changes will be effective as of Jan 1, 2017.

Waterloo cemetery system 'somewhat unique'

Crouse said cemetery services will introduce new lots and new features next year including an expanded section of Parkview Cemetery, which will be sold starting in mid-2017.

"We have to respond and listen to our customers because their needs are changing," he said, adding that more "traditional upright monument lots" will be offered along with a "green burial section."

In his report Crouse explained that the cemetery system in Waterloo is "somewhat unique" because unlike most systems across the province the area's cemeteries don't receive support from the tax base.

"Cemeteries are a perpetual responsibility," Crouse wrote before explaining that burial ground care and maintenance funds have been provincially mandated since 1955, but in some cases historically low lot prices and the fact that cemetery care fees weren't collected from lot owners mean not enough funds were collected to cover the cost of ongoing maintenance.

"Both scenarios are a reality for the City of Waterloo cemetery operations," notes the report which also states a "large part of the city's perpetual care shortfall" can be attributed to Mount Hope cemetery where the majority of lot sales happened before 1955.

Still, Crouse said the city isn't in danger of running out of cemetery space any time soon.

"We have a fairly robust inventory currently and especially with this expansion that we're currently undertaking," he said. "It's likely that will provide for the needs of the community for a good 20 years."