The City of Weyburn has issued a notice about the city’s cemeteries, for any items left on graves to be removed in the fall before winter comes.
According to the notice, this measure will help with maintenance and to preserve proper appearance of the cemeteries within the City, so all unauthorized articles left on graves must be removed by October 15, 2020. After October 15, unauthorized articles will be removed by maintenance staff.
Any items that are removed after October 15 and deemed of value by the administrator will be documented and stored for 12 months in the event the owner of the removed item claims the article.
Under City of Weyburn Bylaw No. 2005-3061, Section 7, rules and regulations are in effect to ensure maintenance can be completed and to preserve the proper appearance of the Weyburn cemeteries, as outlined below.
Care and Improvement of Graves
a) No person shall place any trees, flowers, shrubs, or similar plant material intended for growth on any grave in the cemetery.
b) The administrator may order the removal of any such trees, flowers, or similar plant material situated on or adjacent to any lot that is, in the opinion of the administrator, detrimental to any adjacent grave, path or roadway or to the general appearance of the cemetery or become dangerous or inconvenient to the public, or hinder the normal maintenance of the cemetery.
c) No person shall construct any fence, railing, trellis, curbing, grave covers or borders on any grave in the cemetery. The administrator will proceed with removal without notice.
d) Natural or artificial flowers shall be permitted in holders, vases, or other unbreakable receptacles provided they are permanently secured to the base of the monument.
e) No person shall place or maintain on any grave any glass encased designs, stands, holders, vases, or other objects made of glass.
f) In order to preserve the proper appearance of the grounds, the administrator shall have the authority to remove any article placed on any grave when the article is objectionable or its removal is deemed necessary by the administrator. When the administrator considers the removed article to be of value, the administrator shall forward a written notice to the licensee at his last known address, notifying him of the removal of the article and that such article may be claimed within 30 days of the date of the notice. Where no claim is made to the administrator after the expiry of 30 days or where no notice can be given, the administrator shall dispose of the article.
g) Loose flowers, natural or artificial, placed on a grave at the time of burial will be removed after 14 days to allow for maintenance of the grave.
h) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the administrator may allow the planting of annual flowers on a new grave during the first year after interment to allow the family to beautify the plot prior to seeding grass.
