In the past year the local city cemetery has generated more money than in any other year in history, due to the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
The city's 2022 fourth quarter financial report, released earlier this month, stated that a minor factor leading to last year's $2.3 million operating surplus was the city generating $35,000 more than expected from cemetery fee revenue, with total revenue coming out to $141,638.
The 2022 revenue total is the most the city has seen in the 42-year history of the municipal cemetery, which is located on Poundmaker Road, said city spokesperson Nicole Lynch in an email.
"Based on conversations with cemetery clients, the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged many to preplan their final arrangements and resting places," Lynch said.
"In 2022, there was also an increase in families wanting to inter the ashes of loved ones that they had held onto for a considerable amount of time."
Many grieving friends and families said they wanted to wait until COVID restrictions were lifted in order to hold a funeral or celebration of life with loved ones in attendance.
The revenue, which Lynch said is carried forward to fund maintenance and administrative costs at the cemetery, is generated through the fees charged for burial plots; interments; urn interments in the on-site columbaria, and other service charges.
"There has been an increase in columbarium niche or ash plot burials, compared to traditional burials, such as a standard traditional casket burial," Lynch said.
"In 2022, 14 standard plot interments were completed at the St. Albert Municipal Cemetery, compared to 30 ash plot and niche interments."
Lynch said that although St. Albert's municipal cemetery fees were increased by approximately three per cent at the beginning of 2023, they largely remain below market.
According to the city's cemetery fee schedule, a standard adult burial plot costs $1,700, while an adult ash burial plot costs $800. Costs for child-size plots are lower than adult-sized plots.
For municipal cemeteries operated by the City of Edmonton, costs are differentiated by cemetery. Burial plots in Edmonton's historic cemeteries, such as Mount Pleasant near 106 Avenue and 54th Street, cost more than $5,000, and in non-historic cemeteries such as Northern Lights, located near the Nakî Transit Centre, cost $3,000.
"Cemetery revenue has seen an increase over the last few years with average revenue in the last five years at $105,000 and the previous five years at $61,000."
Despite St. Albert's municipal cemetery approaching the half-century mark, Lynch said significant amounts of space are still available in various areas of the cemetery.
However, Lynch explained, the Indigenous Cemetery located on the grounds is at full capacity, and the city currently has no intention of expanding this portion.
The Indigenous portion of the cemetery grounds displays a monument for the 98 individuals who died while being treated at the Charles Camsell Hospital between 1946-1969.
St. Albert's other cemetery, located on St. Vital Avenue and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, experienced a 10 per cent drop in fee revenue last year, according to Archdiocese spokesperson Andrew Ehrkamp.
Ehrkamp was unable to share what the cemetery's total revenue was in 2022, but explained that the cemetery has very limited space remaining, with no casket burial plots available and just 13 adult cremation burial spaces remaining.
"We do not have any plans for expansion as St. Albert Church, St. Albert Shrine (grotto) and the Star of the North Retreat Centre are in the same area," Ehrkamp said.
The Archdiocese cemetery was established in 1860 by Bishop Vital Grandin, and until 1975 it was operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
