Sitting at her grandparents’ graves in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Vernon councillor Kari Gares looked around her and noticed the absence of flowers among the rows of headstones.
She told the story as council re-visited its cemetery bylaw Monday, Sept. 25, referring to a staff report prepared in the wake of a delegation visit Sept. 11, requesting council re-examine its decision to only allow artificial flowers from October to March, and not in the summer months.
“For some people, flowers give peace. It’s a way to honour their family members,” said Gares. “There is a sense of peace, but the cemetery aspect is subjective to whoever is there.”
Council and the city have come under considerable fire from the public for its bylaw which allows fresh-cut flowers to be placed in vases at grave sites from March 15 to Oct. 15, and, from Oct. 16 to March 14, potted plants, wreaths, artificial floral arrangements, and seasonal floral tributes may be placed on plots.
Trinkets of any kind are not allowed at all to be placed on headstones or grave markers for safety reasons. On Monday, council voted to stay the course with its current bylaw.
Gares, whose family is from Vernon, said council’s decision on the cemetery was not an easy one, especially dealing on a topic where people go to the cemetery to remember and spend time with their loved ones they’ve lost.
“It’s becoming an industry standard around the world and there are no hard and fast rules as to why some sites allow it (artificial flowers, trinkets) and some don’t,” she said. “Over time, more and more cemeteries are doing away with artificial flowers.
“For me, it wasn’t an easy decision but I think we should stay the course, but make sure the public understands. I hear you. It wasn’t an easy decision but it doesn’t mean the empathy and compassion isn’t there.”
Mayor Victor Cumming suggested a two-year artificial pilot project in the summer months, “to see if we truly have difficulties with artificial flowers in the summer.”
There was no seconder to Cumming’s motion.
City manager of parks and public space maintenance Kendra Kryszak said the cemetery bylaw was updated to not include artificial flowers over summer months in order to “create a peaceful and orderly fashion within the cemetery, as well as having a safe area for visitors to come to and for our caretakers.”
“Artificial flowers are not biodegradable,” she said. “They can get caught in mowers. Weed whackers can pick them up and fling them, so people in the area need to be aware of those type of things.
“We took the trinkets away because having them on the edge of the concrete, they’d get picked up by the weed whacker and would be flinged.”
Kryszak was asked if there had been any such incidents. She said yes, a couple of years ago.
“We do get them,” she said.
Council voted 5-1 in favour of receiving the staff report. Cumming was the lone vote in opposition. Coun. Brian Guy was absent from the meeting.
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