Property/Facility Access

Updated May 21, 2020

 

Access to Cemetery Grounds

Cemetery rights holders as well as residents who enjoy the recreational use of our cemeteries have a growing interest in seeing our gates open once again. Closing our gates on April 2nd was a very difficult decision to make.  As an essential service, staff health is paramount but we believe we can slowly and safely lift our gate restrictions permitting access to our cemeteries in concert with other efforts to gradually return to pre-COVID-19 norms. 

To this end, commencing May 7th our gates will be opened for public access:

              Monday – Saturday                     5:30 PM - 8:00 PM

              Sundays & Statutory Holidays     12 noon – 8:00 PM

This schedule will ensure that public traffic in the cemetery avoids times when our staff are present on the grounds.  Maintaining proper physical distance is still a necessity and protecting the health and safety of staff and all who use the cemetery is essential.

Keeping in step with the Province’s framework to re-open, we look forward to the day when we can open our gates to our pre-COVID-19 norms.

 

Access to Facilities

Entrance to the Administrative Offices will be by appointment only. The doors will be locked at all times. For essential needs, please call the office number for assistance (see Contact Us).

Access to our Funeral Centre facilities, mausolea and cremation niche buildings will only be available during essential service events.

 

Large Gatherings

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario has mandated:

• gatherings for services inside a building, at any one time, are restricted to a maximum of 10 individuals (excluding funeral and cemetery staff) providing the six foot distancing rule can be maintained
• crematoriums can only have authorized licensed personnel and employees present during cremation operations – in-person witnessing of cremation is not permitted.

Due to room size limitations at some locations, maintaining the required two metre (six feet) distance between people will require the maximum number permitted may be less than 10 individuals:

• Face-to-face arrangement meetings are restricted to essential services and a maximum of 3 individuals plus funeral staff
• Funeral chapel and visitation services at all MPG and CMS locations  – maximum 10 people
• Prospect and Beechwood mausolea: outdoor and indoor services (maximum 10 people)
• Elgin Mills and Pine Hills mausolea: outdoor services (maximum 10 people); indoor services (maximum 5 people)
• Niche Buildings - outdoor services (maximum 10 people); indoor services (maximum 5 people)
• Cremation Witnessing facilities - this service is unavailable at this time.

 

Outdoor gatherings on the cemetery grounds are restricted to a maximum of 10 individuals per service, excluding cemetery and funeral staff.  The six foot distancing rule must be maintained.