The Natural Burial Cemetery on Denman Island is owned and operated by the community, and includes a community memorial with the names of the people buried there. (Island Futures)

By Jordan Davidson

A GREEN GOODBYE

Gabriola Island residents considering natural burial cemeteries

Jan 27, 2022 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO —When it comes to finding a final resting place, the residents of Gabriola Island are thinking outside of the traditional cemetery box.

With space on the 57.6 sq. km island limited, co-chair of the Gabriola Island Green Burial Exploratory Committee (GIGBEC) Mary Holdgrafer said they started looking for a new option over a year ago.

“The current cemetery is very old and nearing it’s capacity, so part of the reason for our work is because there’s some urgency for having a new cemetery, and the trend now is to look at more green burial options.”

A green, or natural burial cemetery, is a way to bury a deceased loved one while having minimal impact on the nature around their final resting place.

Holdgrafer said they’ve learned a lot about the different kinds of green burial cemeteries located around the world, including a community-owned one on Denman Island, and a privately operated one on Salt Spring Island.

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They also differ in the way someone is buried.

“Biodegradable coffins. So they can be wooden coffins that don’t have varnishes, glues, or nails. Could be a woven basket or a shroud.”

She said the idea is to not bury anything which may damage the environment around them, including embalming fluid.

“The natural decomposition process is faster if there aren’t any chemicals added to the body, and then the land can return to its natural state more quickly.”

When it comes to ways to mark the spot of a buried beloved, Holdgrafer said there are a few natural replacements for the traditional headstone.

“Salt Spring actually uses stones that are naturally occurring on the property, and they have a person who engraves the stones. On Denman Island, they have a community memorial on the wall. So they graves aren’t marked, but they are mapped, and there’s a gathering place with plaques for each person buried in the cemetery.”

Fellow co-chair Gary Holdgrafer said their community showed strong support for this idea, based on the number of people they spoke to when they set up an information table during last year’s farmer’s markets.

“We were there to answer questions and give information, and I think to the person we got lots of support from the people who came to the table for information, so we were very encouraged by that.”

The next step for the GIGBEC is finding a suitable location for this cemetery. Holdgrafer said they’d prefer an area with plenty of trees and plant life which also fulfills all the other requirements needed for a suitable cemetery site.

More information can be found at their Island Futures website, or by following their group on Facebook.

This process is a joint venture between Gabriola Island Green Burial Exploratory Committee and Island Futures.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow