Perpetual care could become a public discussion
- Details
- Published on Thursday, October 26, 2017
Neepawa Town Council - Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner & Press
A motion to set up an ad-hoc committee looking at Riverside Cemetery’s Perpetual Care (PC) program has been defeated by Neepawa Town Council. Recently, the suggestion was made to establish the committee, which would have been made up of four citizens, one councilor and a member of the Town administration. It would have served as a fact finding group and would not make decisions on the future of the program.
Council voted against establishing the committee, citing that town administration have already been doing a thorough job researching the topic and that a larger section of the community may be interested in having a say. Council is now looking at a potential public meeting on the PC program. Neepawa mayor Adrian de Groot said that the council understands that something needs to be done, it’s just a case of figuring out the process.
“It’s always been part of my plan, as well as council’s plan, to engage the community at large in this conversation,” stressed de Groot. “The idea is that we will still continue to do our fact finding, and I’m committed and council is committed to having a community forum to hear the facts.”
A date for any type of public discussion or update on the PC program is still to be determined. The Cemeteries Act defines “perpetual care” as, “the preservation, improvement, embellishment, and maintenance, in perpetuity and in a proper manner of lots, plots, tombs, monuments, or enclosures, in a cemetery or of compartments in a columbarium or mausoleum.” In Neepawa, however, the local bylaw for perpetual care also states that “Perpetual Care at the Cemetery, excluding the Cremation Garden, shall provide an increased level of individual grave care and maintenance, which shall include the planting and care of flowers on the grave. Each grave receiving perpetual care shall have flowers planted and care of the grave shall be as determined by Council from time to time.” In 1956 when the program was established, the perpetual care cost was $250. The cost in 2017 is $1,500.
Parade of Lights: The route for Neepawa’s annual Parade of Lights has been approved. The route will go from Mountain Avenue to Davidson Street, then east to Brown. It will then go south on Brown to Hamilton Street and then west to the museum. The parade is scheduled for Saturday, November 25 at 6:00 p.m.
Misc. • The Town of Neepawa has approved second and third reading of a by-law to close a portion of Cameron Street. The reason for the decision is that the southern portion of that municipal road is no longer required for public purposes.
• Water and sewer installations have started at the former C.N. property, with staff working on services for the future fire hall building. As for the proposed fire hall structure, the tender process is underway.
• Completion of a new water line to the RM of Rosedale is progressing. The portion within the boundaries of the Town of Neepawa are expected to be finished by early November. Last month, Council approved a by-law authorizing an agreement with the RM of Rosedale for the supply of water to the municipality. The water will be supplied through a new supply line built through Neepawa to the RM of Rosedale, which has the capacity to move between 100 and 150 cubic metres of water per day.
