Construction is underway to double the size of the City of Abbotsford’s Mount Lehman cemetery.
In addition to increasing the number of burial plots, the improvements will see the building of a columbarium for funeral urns, with two more to be constructed later. A scattering garden, decorative fencing and on-street parking are also being added.
The cemetery – located on Taylor Road in the city’s far northwestern corner – will be closed during construction, with completion of the project anticipated in mid-April. Budget for the project is $319,000.
In 2007, a city report estimated that Abbotsford’s cemeteries could accommodate needs for 30 years. Nine years later, the city says it should still have enough capacity for the next 25 to 30 years, thanks to the Mount Lehman cemetery expansion, added efficiencies in the systems, and shifts in burial practices.