Tomb with a view: 2 cremation plots at Victoria cemetery on sale for $40K

Located steps from the ocean, surrounded by large trees and on a perfectly landscaped 11-acre property among the “who’s who” of Victoria, this space has neighbours who are guaranteed to be quiet.

The catch? The piece of real estate is not for the living.

An online ad is offering up a pair of side-by-side cremations plots at Victoria’s Ross Bay Cemetery for an asking price of $40,000.

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“It is a beautiful place,” historian John Adams said of the Ross Bay Cemetery. “I think many people resonate with that, and they want to be here if they have a choice.”

There are currently just seven plots available, and the city only allows a purchase if there has been a recent death in the family, not for future interment. The only way of securing a spot at Ross Bay is by getting into the burial plot business.

“People have always bought and sold the graves privately, and that’s definitely going on,” Adams said. “The prices can be very steep.”

Another ad has a cremation plot up for $20,000. The selling point? It’s near the grave of artist Emily Carr.

Crystabelle Fobler, executive director of the Royal Oak Burial Park, said the plots at Ross Bay Cemetery are not necessarily reflective of what’s going on at other Victoria-area cemeteries.

“In Royal Oak Burial Park, our prices range from around $1,500 to $23,000,” she said.

Those plots are also appearing for sale online. But it comes down to simple supply and demand, and unlike larger cities, there’s no shortage of space in Victoria.

“We have 32 acres left for development so if we manage our space properly, we should be good for at least 20 to 25 years,” Fobler said.