Earlier, the Albertan ran a letter to the editor from a resident who expressed disappointment that mementos were no longer allowed on grave stones at the Olds Cemetery. Chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff provided this explanation of the town's position on the matter.
The “rules” have not changed, the town's cemetery bylaws have always regulated care of the plots and restricted the placement of mementos, ornamentation on or in the area of a plot, and cemetery bylaws have always allowed for the town to remove any pieces that do not comply with regulations.
Our request earlier this summer for voluntary compliance was to communicate this regulation and allow individuals an opportunity to understand these regulations.
The current bylaw states “no person shall place, erect or plant any object in any part of the cemetery, with the exception of temporary memorial funeral designs or floral pieces.” This is a very common practice for cemeteries.
Though we may have allowed enforcement of these regulations to slide slightly over the recent years, our intent this spring was to permit staff working on care and upkeep at the cemetery to be able to work toward compliance with these long-standing regulations.
The town has stored items removed this summer (other than broken glass/ceramic). To date, none of these have been claimed. We always take great care to be sensitive with operations in the cemetery, understanding the importance of the cemetery.
Citizen engagement is important and heard. We will do our best to find the right balance between limiting items for maintenance purposes and the ability to honour our community's loved ones.
The Field of Honour, the area where the Olds legion collaborates with the cemetery, will most certainly allow for recognition of veterans, especially considering Remembrance Day.
Recent developments in the cemetery allow for a variety of internment and memorialization options. Beyond the traditional upright monument plots with internment of a casket or cremation urn, the Olds Cemetery also provides services for columbarium niches for urns and a Scattering Garden.
Headstones are not mandatory, but the above rules do apply to memorialization. Residents are discouraged from leaving items of value (sentimental or otherwise) at the cemetery. All non-floral decorations must be permanently affixed to the base or to headstone itself.
We encourage citizens to refrain from putting ornaments, any glass items (including vases) and items of sentimental value on graves. Vases are to be permanently attached to the monument. Wilted flowers and faded or old artificial flowers will be removed at the discretion of the Town of Olds. Cemetery care and respect of place is important to all of us.
Doug Wagstaff
Town of Olds chief operating officer
