City of Calgary looking for citizen feedback on new cemetery

The City of Calgary Parks is looking for input and feedback from Calgarians on the design of a new City cemetery planned for southeast Calgary. A public open house is being held Thursday, May 1, from 5-8 p.m. in the Blue Heron Room at Ralph Klein Park, 12350 84th Street S.E. A brief presentation and short question and answer period is scheduled on the hour at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

“Cemeteries are an essential service provided by The City of Calgary to and for Calgarians and we’re looking for feedback on three design concepts,” says Gary Daudlin, Parks Cemeteries Superintendent. “Citizens' input on these designs will help us ensure the new cemetery meets the diverse needs of Calgarians now and in the years to come.”

While cemeteries are parks designed for a specific use offering a final resting place for loved ones, they are also considered shared, public places.

Daudlin explains that many people visit City cemeteries because they find them peaceful places. Visitors come to the cemetery for a variety of reasons including paying respects, bird watching and observing nature. Visitors also come to learn about the people who are buried in the cemetery and how they contributed to the community or helped to shape the city.

“When providing input and feedback on the new southeast cemetery, we want citizens to think about the story they want to tell future generations about this city and people who shaped it, while also providing ideas on how the cemetery can address the needs of today,” says Daudlin.

Union Cemetery, located at 28 Avenue and Spiller Road S.E., is a good example of how Calgarians visit a City cemetery to learn about Calgary’s past, adds Daudlin. “At some point in the future, Queen’s Park Cemetery will transition into a historical and cultural landscape, and provide Calgarians with a new chapter in the city’s story.”
 
For those not able to attend the open house, an online survey will be available at calgary.ca/secemetery. The survey will be open May 1 to June 1, 2014.

The new cemetery will be situated to the east of Ralph Klein Park in the southeast quadrant of Calgary. For more information about the new City cemetery, please visit calgary.ca/secemetery.