Natural Burial on Gabriola.
We are working to establish a green burial and memorial park on beautiful Gabriola Island.
The Gabriola Island Memorial Society incorporated in August 2022 in response to the community need for a new site for full body burials. After 140 years, our existing cemetery is nearing capacity. If a new site is not established now, residents who wish to have their final resting place near family and friends on Gabriola will be forced to choose cremation.
Help Us Save the Barrett Quarry Lands!
The Gabriola Island Memorial Society (GIMS) and the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT) are collaborating on an initiative to encourage the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) to transfer title of the 40 acre Barrett Quarry to the community for protection as public parkland and a natural burial site. Learn more about our vision and progress here…
Green Burial
What is Green Burial?
Green burial, also known as natural burial or eco-burial, is an environmentally conscious approach to laying our loved ones to rest. It embraces the principles of ecological sustainability and aims to minimize the environmental impact typically associated with western burial practices.
Photo Credit: Green Burial Society of Canada
The Five Principles of Green Burial
The Green Burial Society of Canada identifies five principles of green burial:
No Embalming
Direct Earth Burial
Ecological Restoration & Conservation
Simple Memorialization
Optimized Land Use
Photo Credit: Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery
A Vision for Gabriola
Green burial grounds look quite different from most cemeteries; they are often established in designated natural areas such as meadows or woodlands and don’t incorporate headstones or the manicured landscaping of conventional cemeteries. In some locations, Denman Island for example, their green cemetery is repopulating an area that was clear cut in the late 1990’s with indigenous plants and trees. Returning the landscape to its natural state is an important principle of green burial
