SASKATOON — With the arrival of warmer weather, the Woodlawn Cemetery staff in Saskatoon will begin their spring cleanup of the grounds and the city is taking the opportunity to remind visitors of the guidelines for gravesite to ensure a pleasant environment and respect for the final resting place of loved ones.
According to the guidelines, only approved monuments or memorials are considered permanent items allowed to remain in the cemetery year-round. All other items, such as those placed on a gravesite, flowerbed, headstone, or concrete foundation, are temporary and must be removed weekly.
Flowers and other items are permitted on the gravesite on the day of burial and can be left for seven calendar days and the city crews will remove them after. The city takes no responsibility for any items removed, damaged, or missing which have been placed in the cemetery by the public.
From May 1 to Oct. 15, families may establish a flowerbed at the gravesite upon approval from the Cemetery Office, except for military burials in the Field of Honour and flat marker areas.
Annual flowers are allowed, provided they don't hang over the edge of the flowerbed or impede the maintenance of adjacent gravesites. The Cemetery Office must approve flowerbeds before installation to meet the guidelines.
The guidelines specify items not allowed in flowerbeds, including shrubs, perennials, decorative fencing, rocks, stones, concrete, and breakable or fragile items.
The city assumes no responsibility for the appearance, maintenance, and fall cleanup of approved flowerbeds planted by the public. Neglected flowerbeds will be removed.
Visiting hours for the cemetery are from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. However, the washroom in the Woodlawn Cemetery Administration building is currently closed. The Cemetery Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
If you have any questions, please contact the Cemetery Office at 306-975-3308 or [email protected].
