Cemetery frequently asked questions
You can either search online with our map viewer, call our office at 250-862-5518 or drop by for some help in locating a family member or friend’s location at the cemetery. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – Noon and 1-4 p.m.
Funeral planning can be stressful, and in these times people can forget things. If you can’t remember if you’ve bought a plot, that’s OK; just call us at 250-862-5518 and we’ll be glad to help.
Scattering ashes within the Cemetery is done on licensed and dedicated land that will always remain as an official interment area. This provides protection for those who wish to have their ashes scattered. Cremation scattering gardens are available within the Promontory Green or at the base of Dilworth Mountain adjacent to a nature trail.
Due to the permanency of scattering, we strongly recommend that the decision to have remains scattered be thoroughly discussed and thought through in advance. Scattering of cremated remains is only permitted within these designated areas and families must obtain a permit from the Cemetery office. The choice to have a small bronze plaque to memorialize the scattering is available at both locations.
Sometimes families move. We understand the importance of having a place to go to connect with loved ones that have passed and may not be interred here. We have a spot here for just this circumstance. You can either have a memorial plaque added to one of our memorial walls in the Promontory Green or one added to one of the standing stones at the start of the Dilworth Mountain Scattering Trail.
We recognize the importance of visiting gravesites and niches and leaving adornments; this is part of the grieving and healing process. As with any community you join, there are some guidelines and bylaws that need to be respected and followed. These bylaws were designed in order to maintain a peaceful and orderly atmosphere for all people visiting the cemetery. The caretaker’s safety and an efficient maintenance practice were also of utmost importance in developing the Cemetery’s bylaws. Please see the adornment section of our bylaw.
After a funeral service, families and friends need a quiet time to come back to the cemetery. We find most of our visitors come on the weekends. By not permitting services on Sundays and Holidays, we can ensure there is at least one day a week that visitors will not be disturbed by larger groups of people or machinery on site. We estimate that there may be up to 4,000 different families actively visiting the cemetery. By providing quiet days, we are honouring those interred here. Once your loved ones are interred at the Cemetery, you’ll come to appreciate the serene atmosphere on the weekends.
If no restrictions were in place, weekends would likely be the busiest time for services at the Cemetery. As most of our grieving families visit on the weekends as well, there would be conflicts between those having a service and those visiting loved ones already interred. While we strive to maintain a tranquil cemetery for visitation and grieving for the greater Cemetery community on the weekends, KMPC recognizes that some families do prefer a weekend reservation. For this reason, the cemetery will permit a Saturday service at an additional fee.
Plots and niches can either be transferred to an immediate family member (at the discretion of the Cemetery Manager) or sold back to the City for the original purchase price minus the portion allocated for the Care and Maintenance Fund.
KMPC’s Master Plan (2015) identified that space should be available for the community for 50-plus years. If trends in disposition change (increase in cremation vs. full burials), it is expected that the Cemetery would be able to provide interment well beyond this time period.
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (no sales after 3 p.m.).
