Burial permit fee 'another hit' for grieving families

The owner of four Sudbury funeral homes says a proposed burial permit fee is nothing more than a tax grab.

Sudbury city councillors approved in principle a $27 fee at Tuesday night's finance committee meeting.

It won't be official until it passes another vote of council later this year.

But funeral home director Gerry Lougheed Jr. said it's another hit for grieving families, who also recently started paying the Harmonized Sales Tax, or HST.

"It just seems we are a very vulnerable sector for additional taxes, because they never thought of it before," Lougheed said. "So they might as well start gathering up their money now."

Many other Ontario cities, including Timmins and North Bay, charge a fee for burial permits. Lougheed said it came up once before in Sudbury, but it was rejected by the council of the day.

"Literally it's a tax grab into the grave,’ he added. "There's absolutely been no consultation from the local council to funeral homes, funeral directors or those in the bereavement sector."

Lougheed said he’s hoping the city will scrap its plans to charge for the burial permits.

The fees are projected to add $43,000 to city coffers, but Lougheed pointed out that Greater Sudbury cemeteries already make money for the city.

The decision still needs to be finalized at a regular city council meeting.