Several complaints have surfaced about how the Town of Smithers cares for the municipal cemetery.
According to Shannon Stacey, her family updated flowers for several family members’ headstones in April.
She said while bringing her kids to town to visit family, she felt a need to go to the cemetery.
“When I arrived there, all the flowers from five of the six headstones were gone,” said Stacey.
She added while laying new flowers at the headstones that were empty, one of her kids noticed garbage bags by the cemetery shed that weren’t there when they visited in April.
In those bags were reportedly the flowers they had laid a month prior, prompting Stacey to share her experience on Facebook.
Responses to her discovery sparked a lot of shock through the community.
“Shocked to see the town was even doing this. Shocked that there were even rules and regulations around what a family can and cannot do in memory of their loved one,” Stacey said.
It also prompted others to share similar experiences to what she had experienced.
“I understand that Bylaw 1565 reads that we can put floral tributes on graves and that the town may remove them if they become a detriment to the beauty of the cemetery.”
The experience she called both disheartening and disrespectful.
“Park staff work hard to ensure the cemetery is well maintained and accessible for all visitors, which does require regular upkeep and mowing,” said Samantha LeBlanc, Smithers Communication and Engagement Officer.
She added when the town did maintenance, there were several pieces including real and plastic flowers that had to be removed for staff to mow around headstones.
LeBlanc also said this year’s clean up was larger than in some years because of the number of items at the cemetery.
She also referenced Bylaw 1565 adding items that obstruct regular maintenance activities may be removed, which was explained to be the reason why Stacey’s flowers were likely removed.
“To ensure families have the opportunity to retrieve any removed items, we are temporarily storing them in garbage bags near the cemetery shed for up to 14 days,” said LeBlanc.
She added the 14-day hold on items that comes from the town’s Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw.
The town is currently looking into a better solution to store items for the 14 days and has recently added a sign outlining cemetery maintenance practices.
Stacey said an alternative option to the garbage bags would be an improvement but also concerns the new signage at the cemetery.
“The sign says it is based on the cemetery bylaw (1565) which says nowhere in it that floral tributes may be removed if they are in the way of performing maintenance,” she said.
Stacey also mentioned the 14-day hold on items mentioned on the sign should be attributed to the Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw.
“I think if they’re going to post a sign, and they’re going to quote the cemetery bylaw, they need to quote it correctly or if they’re going to quote another bylaw, they need to include that ordinance,” she added.
Something going on in the Bulkley Valley Lakes District you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
