Radar mapping planned in cemetery
Ground-penetrating radar will be used to create a more accurate mapping of graves in the cemetery here.
Minto town council approved the bid of $16,250 from Midland-based Global GPR for the project at its Aug. 5 meeting. The Clifford cemetery which is actually located in Howick Township, just outside the Minto municipal boundary, is just over one hectare in size and is designed for approximately 403 plots.
In the 2014 budget, council allocated $20,000 to complete a survey of the cemetery to compare internments with town records so there is a more accurate mapping record.
Staff prepared a Computer Aided Drafting base map to assist with this process. “An accurate survey below ground requires a form of ground penetrating radar (GPR),” explains a staff report from road and drainage superintendant Mike McIsaac. “Staff is hopeful that this will improve record keeping so that potential problem areas can be identified where plot availability may be more limited than originally thought,” the report notes.
The process, which involves dragging a lawnmower-sized piece of equipment across the cemetery in two passes, does not disturb the grounds, McIsaac pointed out.
