Cemetery Standards

When a grave site must be prepared, a minimum of 72 regular working hours’ notice shall be given to the City prior to the interment.  

Note that Saturdays, Sundays, statutory or declared holiday hours shall not be counted as regular working hours.

Interment Scheduling

Interment requests will only be accepted if: all appropriate cemetery paperwork is complete and payment is made in full, with a minimum notice of 72 hours (three full business days).  Interment requests that are less than 72 hours (three full business days) notice, will not be accomodated.  Please refer to the chart below to determine the appropriate interment date.

If the completion of the booking falls outside these booking deadlines, we may not be able to accommodate the request for your desired interment date and time.

BOOKING STANDARDS:

1. It is imperative to contact the cemetery before scheduling any interments, as other interments may be occurring simultaneously. Without proper coordination, we may be unable to fulfill your request for the preferred date and time of interment. In such instances, we will offer the next available date and time that is mutually acceptable to both parties.
2. In accordance with our Cemetery Bylaw and Standards, it is stipulated that a minimum notice of 72 regular working hours (business days) must be provided to the City prior to the preparation of a grave site for interment. Adhering to these standards is essential, as it allows us to inform the Public Works Department to ensure the appropriate availability of equipment and resources. Only then will an interment confirmation be sent to the funeral service provider.

Grave Marker

All markers must be flat and made from enduring granite or marble, which are mounted to a cement base even with the ground. The preferred edge style of the flat marker is a rough edge, also known as a rock pitch. Vases of suitable metal construction are permitted when imbedded in a flat marker so that the vase is recessed flush with the ground. Flat Markers are to be installed by cemetery staff only. 

Engraving and purchasing of a marker is a transaction conducted between the family and a monument company. Prior to the installation of a flat marker, the family must have paid the marker installation fee. Once the marker installation fee has been paid, Public Works will install a protective concrete foundation that surrounds the flat marker.  The family is responsible for the maintenance, cleaning and replacement of a memorial marker, and the City assumes no liability or responsibility for loss or damage to any memorials through acts of vandalism or natural erosion. The City will repair and replace existing memorial foundations if necessary due to maintenance and or safety concerns as determined by cemetery staff at no charge to the plot owner. Public Works performs constant cemetery maintenance; therefore, structures of any kind, other than approved ones, are not permitted within the cemetery. Existing monuments that do not meet current specifications will be grandfathered, however, in the event the monument needs replacement, the new monument(s) are required to meet the existing regulations in place at the time of purchase.

Permitted Grave Marker Sizes

• Standard & Double Depth Plot: No minimum ~ Maximum 39” x 18” 
• Side by Side Standard Plot: One marker centred across the two plots. No minimum ~ Maximum 42” x 18”
• Single Ash Plots: No minimum ~ Maximum 39” x 18”
• Side by Side Ash Plots: No minimum ~ Maximum 39” x 18”

Installation and Deliveries of Grave Markers

At the beginning of each October, installation of any flat marker is subject to weather conditions; therefore, the City will not guarantee a flat marker installation after October 1st. The City of St Albert will not install or accept any deliveries of flat markers from late October until the start of spring each year. The installation will resume in the spring. 

Vases

As the property of the family, it is the family’s responsibility to maintain and replace vases. Vases have a limited lifespan and are not under warranty by the cemetery. A vase installed in a northern climate is subject to extreme changes in temperature and is accessible to people, wild-life and unforeseen factors that will affect the life of the vase. Depending upon the composition of the vase, it should be expected that replacement vases will need to be purchased periodically by the plot owner due to normal wear and tear. Vases that are broken and considered a maintenance hazard will be removed by the cemetery staff.

Casket Liner, Casket Vaults or Ash Urn Vaults

• Casket Vaults are not required nor recommended as all caskets must be interred with a liner
• Casket Vault dimensions cannot exceed 48” x 96” and will be installed by, and at the cost of, the supplier
• Urn Vault dimensions cannot exceed 20" x 20”
• Proof of a vault purchase and vault dimensions are required prior to interment

Meeting with Cemetery Services is done by appointment only

If you have any questions, would like to book an appointment, or would like a Cemetery Package sent to you by mail, please contact the City.

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Related Pages

City Cemetery ›

Cemetery Services ›

Cemetery Fee Schedule ›

Burial Descriptions ›

Cemetery Directions ›