Deadline to reclaim unused Right of Interment Permits over 50 years old at cemetery

News Release

Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery’s (KMPC) Right of Interment reclamation project is wrapping up soon. Since May 2024, KMPC has been reclaiming unused Right of Interment Permits sold more than 50 years ago. Permit Holders or their immediate family members have until Oct. 7 to notify KMPC via email their intent to use, transfer, or surrender their Right of Interment Permit, otherwise the Cemetery will reclaim them.

“Since May, KMPC has been able to connect with 30 original permit holders to determine next steps,” said Tracey Hillis, Cemetery Manager. “While some of the inquiries we’ve received so far were for more recent plots, this has really helped us update our records and discuss options with residents. This project is all about responsible land management and ensuring that there is space available for those who want to be buried in our local Cemetery.”

A Right of Interment Permit is the right to be interred in a particular plot within a Cemetery, commonly referred to as “the rights to a plot”. Reclamation only applies to unused permits, meaning a plot is currently vacant (no one is buried there) that were sold in or before 1973.

Cemetery permits issued in 1973 and earlier did not include detailed contact information of the purchaser, or the information provided is no longer valid. If you are (or think you or an immediate family member might be) a permit holder for a vacant plot location, please send an email to cemeterypermits@kelowna.ca.

Staff will review the status of permits and update files with correct contact information and intentions to either use the permit, transfer the permit to an immediate family member, or surrender the permit. If the original plot holder has passed away, an immediate family member may be eligible to use the original Right of Interment Permit for a casket burial.

For more information, including frequently asked questions, visit kelowna.ca/reclamation.