Waterloo crematorium could be shut down, putting affordable services in jeopardy

Waterloo's Parkview Cemetery's crematorium is in need of major renovations and upgrades that could cost the city $3.2 million and now the city is asking for the public's input on whether it should keep the facility open.

The crematorium is oncemetery grounds and has actedas a source of revenue for the past 42 years, allowing Parkview to operate without the need of tax-base support.

The cost of repairs would include two new retorts, the place where the body is placed, an accessible viewing area, an elevator and a new cooler.

The city isasking for public feedback on the Engage Waterloo website. It wants to know whether residents want the city to invest in the renovations and keep it operational, or to wind down cremation services and repurpose the building to create an interior niche space similar to those at theWilliamsburg Cemetery in Kitchener and Woodlawn Cemetery in Guelph.

"Interior niches are essentially a columbarium, which is located inside,"Jeff Silcox-Childs, director of parks and services for the City of Waterloo, said in an email to CBCKitchener-Waterloo.

"A columbarium is a collection of niches usually stacked for the purpose of holding cremated remains (burial urns)."

Competing with private crematoriums

Parkview Cemetery has seen a steady decline in the number of cremations since 2012, the year the province changedlegislation to allow crematoriums to be operated privately.

Of the 79 licensed crematoriums in Ontario, four are municipally owned,the city said.

"Two others are in process of considering other options to no longer operate the crematoriums themselves as are we,"Silcox-Childssaid.

Waterloo has no privately owned crematoriums, he adds.

On average, Parkviewdoes 1,300 cremations every year, but the crematorium has also lost 10 funeral home providersand hasseen a20 percent decrease on the number of cremations done annually.

To compete with privately owned crematorium businesses, the city would need to invest significantfundsinto Parkviewand extend its hours of operations to six days a week.

City staff plan to return to council in the fall with recommendationsonce the public engagement process is compete,Silcox-Childssaid.

There will be an information session on June 27 at the Parkview Chapel from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.