Residents object to removal of cemetery trees

You can’t see the cemetery for the trees - and that is how some local residents would like to keep it.

On March 26, Centre Wellington councillors faced a sizable delegation of homeowners.

At the outset of the community delegation, Mayor Kelly Linton clarified council would not make a decision that night.

“The meeting is to hear what you have to say,” Linton said.

The matter involves properties that back onto a former road allowance between the homes and Belsyde Cemetery.

Work to expand the cemetery capacity involves cutting down a row of 14 mature Norway spruce trees.

Neighbours object to the trees being removed on the southeast side of the cemetery.

Speaking on behalf of a number of Highland Road residents, Richard Slater said the issue goes back as far as 1995.

“We would like to see an open conversation on the process of closing and stopping up road allowances,” said Slater.

He added residents want the existing trees to remain as per an agreement between residents and town of Fergus in 1998.

Slater also noted the town of Fergus spent considerable money to provide a buffer zone and access road.

He asked that the cemetery master plan be changed to respect the wishes of residents on Highland Road.

Slater said when residents moved on the 400 block of Highland Road, they did so knowing there was a 33-foot road allowance immediately north separating their backyards from the cemetery property.

Residents contend they did not get a voice in the process of the road closure.

Slater said the Norway spruce trees provide a mature buffer for the residents and the users of the cemetery - consistent with other portions of the cemetery lands.

The tree removal is part of a process to better utilize the remaining land within Belsyde Cemetery, which now includes the former Princess Street road allowance.

Residents contend removing one of the rows of Norway spruce will result in the death of the remaining trees because the root systems are intertwined.

Slater maintained it wasn’t until last fall residents became aware the trees were  going to be cut down.

“We were really upset everything was happening so fast, and we hadn’t had a chance to comment,” Slater said. “We feel the actions of council are completely unacceptable.”

While realizing cemetery space within Belsyde Cemetery is finite, residents of Highland Road encouraged councillors to explore plans to create a new cemetery elsewhere in Centre Wellington.

Slater said residents want council to justify the spending to alter the area of land where the trees would be removed, noting, “We feel there is nothing wrong with the existing cemetery as it stands now.”

He said council should instead focus its efforts on finding additional cemetery properties.

As to the proposed expansion of Belsyde Cemetery, he contended the township has lost touch with current interment methods, such as the increased number of cremations instead of graves.

The proposed plan for Belsyde does include expanded offerings for cremation plots.

Slater said residents are prepared to go through the Ontario Ombudsman, if needed, to protect the trees.

Township response

Managing director of infrastructure Colin Baker said the Belsyde cemetery plans came to council in 2015.

It remained in draft form with several months for public comment.

Baker added the item came back to council in December 2018. He noted there were conversations with Highland Road residents.

Describing the scope of the work, Baker said initial plans were to cut the entire second row of trees, “but we have scaled back the area of disturbance quite a bit.”

Baker explained municipalities are mandated to provide accessible public spaces. To accomplish that the maximum land grade can only be five per cent, he said.

The slope of the land would be reduced to meet that grade.

Baker added that when grading is complete, the intent is to replace the trees which were cut.

“We tried to reach a compromise,” he said.

Potential impact

Baker said retaining the trees and not altering the grade would reduce on the number of gravesites that could be created.

Based on today’s rates for gravesites, Baker said the financial impact to the township would be a loss of $455,000.

Baker agreed the trend is towards more cremations and said the columbarium area is intended to meet that demand.

CAO Andy Goldie added there are significant regulations regarding the creation of new cemeteries and a previous discussion on the cemetery master plan had (at one time) considered expansion into Highland Park.

However, Goldie added, the proposed development of Belsyde cemetery will provide the township with the time needed to create new cemetery lands when needed.