Discovering abandoned burial sites often raises the question of who is responsible for their care.
These include abandoned community cemeteries, aboriginal burial sites and small individual graves that might date back to the time of the fur traders and early settlers in the 19th century.
Alberta’s government services department administers the cemeteries act and is asking the public for its opinion.
“Off and on these have been discovered over the years,” said Gwen Vanderdeen-Paschke of the department. “We have no protocol to deal with these.”
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In some cases, a small graveyard was left untended when families moved away. Or, water and soil erosion uncovers graves that either need to be moved or reburied on site.
If a community wants the cemetery maintained, an agreement must be reached as to who pays for its upkeep.
Some may suggest allowing nature to take its course and grow over the site.
Many graves are discovered on private land, while others are on municipal property.
The possibility of finding more graves increases as urban development spreads.
The aboriginal affairs department is also holding public consultations to decide what should be done with native graves.
In some cases, an archeological team may assess sites for historical significance before graves are preserved or moved.
Anyone wishing to submit opinions to the province may call Beth Jenkins at 780-427-4210, fax 427-3033 or write Unregistered Burial Sites Discussion Paper, Alberta Government Services, Consumer Programs, Third Floor, Commerce Place, 110155-102 St., Edmonton. T5J 4L4.
