Wet weather is not a dead issue in North Battleford, as the city's cemeteries are now the latest to face challenges because of this year's increased rain and moisture.
Parks and Recreation Director Stuart York reported to council Sept. 13 that 2010 precipitation has been far above average, and that has created some poor road conditions and a lack of draining in some areas of the municipal cemetery.
He presented figures obtained from Environment Canada that showed precipitation has risen from about 220 mm to 364.5 mm of rain during the months from May to August. That is 63 per cent above normal levels, York said.
The months of May and July saw the greatest spikes compared to the monthly average. May saw triple the usual amount of rain, York said. June and August were in the average range.
The rain has posed challenges across all of parks and recreations' operations, but especially at the cemetery, York said.
The city is responsible for both the Municipal and Woodlawn cemeteries, which occupy 38 acres. In the Municipal Cemetery there are monument sections as well as flat marker sections that York says is easier to maintain, There are a total of 10,000 graves and they average 120 burials annually.
York responded to councillors' concerns raised previously about the poor state of the roads at the cemetery. He said roads dependent on evaporation or absorption of the moisture were not drying out.
"There is no drainage system" at all, York said. "There is no storm sewer at all in any portion of the cemetery."
He showed pictures from one section of the cemetery where the water table was particularly high, he said. That has been an ongoing issue for years, he said.
"We've noticed actually over several years the water table rising in some of the areas of the cemetery," York told reporters afterwards.
Other issues included an increase in the number of slumping grave stones, and York told council high moisture levels are to blame with some lots filling up with water. That has led to extra staff hours spent on repairs, York said.
On the flip side, the moisture led to the lush growth of a lot of grass, which also posed a challenge. Because resources were stretched dealing with priority items and repairs, the staff fell behind in grass cutting and it ended up being too long.
York told council the parks department had to make do with the same staffing levels as before to meet all the challenges. York said the current staffing levels are not enough to deal with a wet year like this one.
The staff includes one full-time operator, two long-term seasonal and two seasonal temporary employees. The staff functions include turf maintenance, plaque installations, grave repairs and assisting visitors with grave locations, with burials taking the highest priority.
York made a number of proposals to deal with the issues at the cemeteries. He said drainage would require major investment. As well, he said staffing and equipment were not adequate in wet years. Also, some practice changes were necessary, York said, to keep up with the grass cutting and trimming.
"It wasn't up to the standard we wanted it to be," said York to reporters. "But we're hoping for better times going forward."
Another issue is the fact that the Municipal Cemetery is running out of gravesites. One idea being floated is to add a columbarium to the municipal cemetery, which York said could be a way to deal with the space issue.
The issues raised were not lost on councillors who had questions for York. However, the presentation served more of an informational purpose about what the parks and recreation department was planning to do to address the everyday operations at the cemeteries, and no final decisions were settled at Monday's meeting.
