With many public spaces and recreational facilities closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery is asking people to respect the burial services they’re still providing.
In an interview on CKNW, Mountain View Cemetery manager Glen Hodges told Simi Sara recreational use of the property has increased due to the pandemic.
“The last couple weeks, the activity in terms of people coming to the cemetery — walking, jogging, riding their bikes, wandering around — the traffic just increased tremendously, causing all sorts of concerns for staff and visitors to the cemetery,” Hodges said.
There has always been some recreational use of the park, but Hodges says staff are unhappy with the recent behaviour they’ve seen, including “kids running scooters down the hills, kids climbing and having fun in the dirt pile and climbing on headstones.”
Mountain View Cemetery is installing perimeter signage to request people take their leisure activities elsewhere and interior signage asking people to keep their distance and be respectful of ongoing services.