Cemetery lands are protected in perpetuity through a Certificate of Public Interest issued on the property title by the provincial government. All cemeteries must be licensed as a Place of Interment and are required to hold 25% of all monies paid in a perpetual care fund.

A burial site in British Columbia must have a setback of 120 metres or more from a well. Surface water runoff and other considerations including adequate soil composition and depth, and ease of access will be subject to testing and a thorough geotechnical report for any land under consideration. Wherever a natural burial site is located, we believe it must be absolutely safe with no possibility of contaminating local groundwater.

Our intention is to serve only residents and former residents of Gabriola, Mudge and Decourcy Islands and their families and members of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

One of the most important goals of a green burial site is to ensure the rewilding of the land. Some planting of native flora may be planned but the land will naturally regenerate with plants, shrubs, mosses and other native species. Aside from placing flowers at the time of burial, further planting will only be done by the Gabriola Island Memorial Society in accordance with a management plan. Details about how the site will be developed and managed will be finalized once land is acquired.

The ideal burial depth for optimal decomposition conditions is about 4 feet. With 18 to 24 inches of soil covering the body, there is no scent to attract animals. Adding the soil displaced by the body to the top of the grave in a mound, as is usually done, doubles this barrier. A number of studies have concluded this concern is without merit; there is no evidence that animals are attracted to burial sites.

All burial sites must keep detailed information about the location of gravesites; graves are surveyed and the coordinates are recorded in cemetery records. Green burial sites that don’t use any markers on individual graves can locate specific sites via gps if needed. Generally though families don’t expect to visit specific gravesites when they visit a green burial site but rather, they come and spend time walking the trails or sitting at a place of community memorial.

There are many factors that go into valuing a property. While some people may have reservations about living close to a green burial site, others may find the location desirable due to the beautiful setting and peacefulness these sites offer. Studies show that, when evaluating property next to a cemetery, generally there is no negative impact to property value. Industrial sites - which create excessive noise, ground and air pollution - are often the biggest catalyst of lowered property values.

The World Health Organization, having looked at a number of studies regarding the impacts of cemeteries on the environment and human health, concluded that the pollution potential from a well managed and suitably located cemetery is minimal.

Most cemetery pollution comes not from the body but from the stuff often buried with it - coffins treated with varnish and sealers, synthetic fibres, embalming fluids, concrete vaults, and toxic ingredients from fertilizers used in landscaping by traditional cemeteries. Natural burial sites do not allow use of any of these.

We understand from our friends at the Gabriola Cemetery that they average about 12 interments each year. We can expect that number will increase slightly over time but to reach capacity, even in just one acre of space, we expect it would take a very long time. The Gabriola Community Cemetery was established in 1882 and is located on only .6 acres of land!

The folks at the Gabriola Community Cemetery estimate that the largest attendance at an interment in recent years was around 40 people, but they advise most services are usually much smaller affairs with 5-15 people attending.  

We don’t anticipate that the establishment of a natural burial site would result in a significant increase to neighbourhood traffic. Depending on the eventual site we secure and community feedback, we hope to accommodate a small off street parking area to minimize inconvenience to neighbours.