Revitalization of Calgary’s Erlton Chinese Cemetery Preserves Heritage and Strengthens Community Ties

Established in 1908, Calgary’s Chinese Cemetery is one of the city’s oldest cultural burial grounds. At a time when Chinese residents were excluded from other cemeteries, this sacred site became a dedicated place of remembrance and community. Today, it remains a vital heritage landmark, honouring the legacy of early Chinese Calgarians and their contributions to the city’s growth.

The Erlton Chinese Cemetery Revitalization Project, funded through the Parks and Playground Amenities Program, balanced historical preservation, cultural respect, and modern engineering solutions, while deepening the City’s relationship with Calgary’s Chinese community.

In June 2024, City leadership met with members of Calgary’s Chinese community to begin shaping the project’s scope and priorities. A site visit by a Feng Shui Master ensured that all restoration work respected cultural traditions. Community input played a central role throughout the project, guiding how fragile monuments were handled, restored, and repositioned to honour their cultural and historic meaning.

By 2024, many of the cemetery’s concrete monuments had deteriorated, with several broken into multiple pieces. To safeguard these fragile structures, Cemeteries staff:

• Carefully removed and epoxied monuments to stabilize cracks and breaks.
• Worked with community translators to identify inscriptions and ensure stones were returned to their correct locations.
• 343 monuments were included in the project, with 177 monuments restored and reset on ‘Monugrid Reinforced Soil Foundations’ which are a sustainable, low-carbon alternative to concrete.
   

“This project was deeply meaningful for our team,” said Jeff Sieben, Cemeteries Operations Foreman. “Seeing these fragile monuments carefully restored and re-set, while working alongside community volunteers who treated each stone with such respect, was a memorable experience I’m proud to have been a part of.”

Volunteers from Calgary’s Chinese community were instrumental in revitalizing the grounds. Using eco-friendly solutions, they gently cleaned monuments and restored turf through loaming, seeding, fertilizing, and watering.

“The revitalization of the Erlton Chinese Cemetery is an act of remembrance and respect. I was honoured to be part of this work with the community to ensure traditions were respected and voices heard. By honouring Calgary’s early Chinese pioneers, we recognize their struggles and contributions while preserving a vital piece of our heritage and strengthening bonds with the Chinese community for generations to come,” said Ward 7 Councillor Terry Wong.

All monument and turf restoration was completed by late August 2025. The project officially concluded with a Community Celebration on August 23, 2025, attended by City staff, provincial representatives, community leaders, volunteers, and families. The event recognized the hundreds of volunteer hours contributed, shared stories of cultural heritage, and highlighted the cemetery’s enduring importance as a place of remembrance.

By protecting 343 historic monuments—many at risk of being lost forever—through careful stabilization, accurate repositioning, and sustainable foundation technology, the project demonstrated how heritage preservation can be both respectful and innovative.

“This project truly demonstrates the power of collaboration, strengthening the bond between the City of Calgary and the Chinese community” said Gary Daudlin, Cemeteries Lead. “The success of this project ensures that this cemetery continues to stand as a meaningful cultural landmark for generations to come."