Storm cleanup delayed by weeks as Montreal cemetery shuts its gates in labour dispute

After months of being closed due to an ongoing labour dispute, Montreal's Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery reopened its gates at the end of March to visitors paying their respects. But less than a week later, an ice storm struck Quebec, destroying headstones and blocking paths with felled trees and branches. 

Since the storm, the cemetery has once again closed its gates to the public, with few workers on the grounds to begin the process of cleaning up. At an impasse in negotiations, the unions representing workers and the cemetery's management are blaming each other. 

Daniel Granger, spokesperson for the cemetery, said it will take weeks to clean up the roughly 33 kilometres of felled branches and trees strewn across the cemetery grounds, while other trees will need to be chopped down.

Normally, there would be about 80 workers to clean up the damage, but because of the strike, few workers remain to get the job done on what is Canada's largest cemetery, Granger said.

"With the people we have left there are only about four people to do the cleaning," he said, blaming the union strike that began in January for the cemetery shutting its gates.

According to Granger, the cemetery's management offered the striking employees a truce that would see them return to work and clean up the grounds for the benefit of families and friends who want to visit their loved ones.

"But they've declined," he said, adding that, unlike other cemeteries that can hire subcontractors, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges' contract with its workers forbids the cemetery from seeking outside help.

Granger said that management has to respect the labour laws in place.

Until then, visitors, who he said are at risk of getting injured by the damaged site, will be denied entry.

"People could have a serious accident, [...] so we just can't take that risk and expose them to such a situation."

But Eric Dufault, president of the cemetery's office workers' union, said the cemetery could open to visitors if it wanted to, despite the storm.

"The cemetery will use that [storm] excuse to close the cemetery again to the families, and we're really sad about that," he said.

Dufault said it was "impossible" for the few remaining workers to clear the trees and the damage toll would only increase with no workers to deal with the groundhogs unearthing bones and digging up holes. 

Without a contract since 2017, Dufault said union workers want to get back on the grounds. He accused the cemetery's management of negotiating in bad faith and trying to cut back on services.

"It was the last resort to use the right to strike," he said.

Granger said he hopes the cemetery reopens to the public before Mother's Day, when as many as 10,000 people visit the grounds.

He said management is looking into finding solutions to at least partially reopen the site to visitors.