Grave concerns over funding for small town cemeteries

Rural church groups are struggling with the upkeep of their cemeteries. CTV’s Jeff Keele explains.

Taxpayers are footing more maintenance costs for small town cemeteries, and municipal leaders are looking to the province for help.

In Shoal Lake, the grass is mowed and the grounds are clean at the St Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Church cemetery.

But as of this year, the church is no longer responsible for the upkeep. Yellowhead Municipality Mayor Merv Starzyk says the local government has taken over those duties.

“That’s getting to be a big burden on the municipal budget,” said Starzyk.

Over the decades, the area’s population and church membership dwindled to the point the church could no longer tend to the cemetery. Starzyk is well positioned to speak to that — he’s also the church’s treasurer.

“The church submitted a letter to the municipality and asked council if they would assume the maintenance costs of it and it did pass at council,” said Starzyk.

This is not an isolated case. Starzyk says Yellowhead is responsible for a dozen cemeteries, and half of those have been handed over because of similar situations over the years.

Like everything else, Starzyk says the maintenance costs are rising, putting a financial strain on the local government.

“If it was just one cemetery it wouldn’t be bad, but there are many cemeteries,” said Starzyk.

The mayor says this is happening in other municipalities too, in some cases the churches close, leaving the cemetery behind.

His council put forward a motion to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) convention last year, which passed, calling on the province for financial help.

“The maintenance of cemeteries is a critical responsibility that ensures respect for the deceased and preserves the heritage and history of our community…many small organizations are unable to continue the maintenance of cemeteries due to financial and operational constraints, resulting in the transfer of these responsibilities to the municipalities,” the resolution states.

Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard points out that the province has increased the municipal operating grant by two per cent each year, and that a new $62-million fund is also available to draw from.

“We feel that there’s opportunities for municipalities to use some of this new funding and additional funding to address some of these issues,” said Simard.

AMM President Kathy Valentino says they welcome the extra money, but says they need a new funding model from the province because municipalities are falling behind because of inflationary pressures.

“We have to have the province get back to the table with us to address the funding issue so that cemeteries don’t, you know, go into disarray,” said Valentino.

Starzyk cautions this is not the end. He anticipates more churches will be seeking municipal intervention.

“Actually, I expect we’re going to get more requests,” said Starzyk.