An Edmonton man says he was “floored” after learning he would need to contact every living descendant of his deceased grandfather in order to bury his mother’s cremated remains in the family plot.
Phil Sutton, who lives in south Edmonton, started looking into the matter last year to fulfil a promise he had made to his mother to bury her alongside her daughter, brother and other relatives.
The plan was put on hold when staff at the Edmonton Cemetery in central Edmonton told Sutton his grandfather — who died in 1968 — still officially owned the plot, and he would need the permission of all living relatives of his grandfather to move forward.
“I was floored,” Sutton said. “I understood they moved ownership to my mother.”
Sutton’s mother, Edith Stone Sutton, was a member of the Edmonton Grads, a women’s championship basketball team. The team competed between 1915 and 1940, winning 95 per cent of its matches. Edith was 102 when she died on May 9, 2012.
Sutton’s friend, Linda Payne, said his mother’s place in the city’s history makes her delayed burial unacceptable.
“For her to be denied burial in a City of Edmonton cemetery just seems cruel and unusual,” Payne said.
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In an email to Global News, city spokesperson Suzzette Mellado said its cemetery ownership policy changed about 10 years ago to “better align with legal requirements.” She said they were advised plot ownership should be treated like any asset that is part of one’s estate. For that reason, she said plots must be distributed in the last will and testament or according to the executor’s instructions.
“We recommend families to have these discussions together and plan in advance as it will reduce stress after the death of a loved one,” Mellado said in an email.
“For instance, a family burial area can be purchased in advance by all family members. When purchasing, family members can clearly state who the owners and/or decision makers are, which will ensure everyone is satisfied.”
According to city councillor Scott McKeen, some leeway in cases like this could go a long way.
“Ultimately, politicians are to blame,” McKeen said.
“I think that we need to create a system where front-line civil servants feel a little but more comfort in using some discretion.”
Sutton’s family had little trouble burying his sister’s remains in the late 1990s before the policy change.
He estimates it would cost over $3,000 in legal and administrative fees to track down all living relatives of his grandfather and put together the relevant documentation. To complicate matters, many of those relatives live out of province, and he isn’t aware of all of their whereabouts.
Payne, who sorted out her family’s plot when she learned of her friend’s difficulties, said the city needs to rethink its cemetery policy.
“Somebody’s stressed because their loved one has died and then have to go through all these hoops about getting their loved one buried,” Payne said. “It’s not what you want to do.”
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