Cemetery running out of room, Sudbury OKs $4M expansion
With a waitlist in place for some burial services, Greater Sudbury has approved a $4 million expansion of the Civic Memorial Mausoleum.
Built in 2000, the facility on Second Avenue has been expanded four times, most recently in 2012. It offers such services as in-ground burials, crypts that hold caskets and niches for cremated remains.
But the facility is reaching capacity, particularly for crypts, a staff report on the project said.
"As of December 2019, there are no crypt spaces available and the inventory for niche spaces will require replenishment by 2023 based on historic sales," the report said.
"There is a continued demand for interior crypt and niche spaces. Currently, there is a waiting list for approximately 100 crypts."
Originally slated to cost $2 million when approved in 2021, soaring global inflation has helped drive up the total budget to $4 million, an increase approved by city council Tuesday evening.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
While the budget has doubled, the extra costs won’t be taken from municipal taxpayers. There is a reserve fund in place to finance the expansion, which will be repaid as the new crypts and niches are sold.
"We kind of gave the resolution to go forward with the $4 million build, so now it'll take about 18 months," said Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre.
"There's a lot of work involved with engineering and architects but after that we figure it'll be about 18 months before people are able to purchase crypts and niches."
"The additional $1,950,000 would be borrowed from the Cemetery Care & Maintenance Trust Fund to cover the remaining total project cost of $4,000,000 resulting in no property tax levy impact from the project construction," the staff report said.
"This project is expected to generate total net revenue which will be sufficient to fully replenish the … fund of $4,000,000 by 2036."
City staff expects all of the additional space to be sold by 2036.
Read the full report here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.