In an article published July 20 in The duty, it is suggested that the Green Plan of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery is “show-off”. After nearly three years of work and investment, we believe that an update is needed.
Since 2020, we have undertaken the largest green shift in the history of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery in order to reduce our ecological footprint and contribute to biodiversity on Mount Royal, while ensuring respect, enhancement and development of natural environments. Reduction, recovery, recycling and reuse are at the heart of our ecological thinking, fueled by the desire to innovate in order to better meet the current and future needs of our customers, visitors and community partners.
Eliminate water waste. The Cemetery first put an end, in 2020, to the operation of its dilapidated water supply network, whose frequent breaks and leaks led to a huge waste of water each year. We have installed 22 water tanks on the site, which collect rainwater in particular, in order to meet the needs of visitors who add seasonal plants to the grounds of their loved ones, which, ideally, could gradually become perennials.
Green initiatives and support from our customers. We also proposed the conversion of a large grassy area (93,000 m2) into a space welcoming perennial native plants and the creation of ecological burial areas allowing people who choose cremation to replace the installation of a monument with the planting of a tree of a quality native species. These two projects have aroused the interest and support of experts in sustainable development. We consulted over 4000 customers about these in March 2021, as well as the possibility of making visitors responsible for the recovery of their waste in order to reduce the volume of waste materials left on the site each week. These changes were supported by over 80% of our customers.
Le Boisé du Souvenir, a resounding success. We announced the creation of the Boisé du Souvenir to respond to customers wishing to make an ecological gesture on the occasion of their death by returning their ashes entirely and quickly to nature through a magnificent tree that will grow over the next generations. , in an exceptional and protected site on the slopes of Mount Royal, for the best memories of their loved ones and the pleasure of visitors. At the end of December 2021, the hundred trees planned in phase 1 had been reserved, and more than thirty are already growing. Phase 2, started in the spring of 2022, has already allowed the reservation of more than forty new trees.
New ecological catering spaces. In the summer of 2021, the Cemetery and the Université de Montréal set out to create ecological restoration zones to enhance the quality of habitats and biodiversity on Mount Royal. In each zone, the lawn was removed and replaced by the seeding of a mixture of native species chosen on the basis of information provided by the specialized services of the City of Montreal. The results of this project will make it possible to properly document the next transformations of the cemetery grounds. The Union des artistes and the Fondation des artistes have also agreed to participate in the transformation of their respective lands into spaces that will soon be covered with perennial native plants and flowers.
Our green plan is not finished, and we still have a lot of work to do. But the measures that we have implemented have notably made it possible to reduce, from 2020 to 2021, our consumption of gasoline by 14,000 liters, 22,600 liters of diesel, 245 tonnes of salt, 134 tonnes of gravel. We also planted 305 new trees outside the Boisé du Souvenir. Many families who kept the ashes of a loved one or bereaved parents of a child have chosen to prolong the memory of their loved one with a tree.
The Cemetery is an NPO that has recorded heavy losses for several years, in particular because the costs associated with labor represent approximately 80% of its operating expenses. Our more than 90 operations employees receive, on a regular basis, a salary of more than $30 an hour, plus 50% in benefits, for a weekly work schedule of 37.5 hours, spread over four days a week. They ensure the maintenance of the grounds, trees, paths and buildings. Cemetery maintenance remains a priority, and many of our operations employees are assigned to these tasks. We diligently process all requests addressed to our customer service department. We want to reach an agreement that will allow us to ensure a balanced budget and the sustainability of our institution.
We serve approximately 4,000 bereaved families each year who choose our cemetery as their final resting place. We hope that this place of rest and contemplation will become more beautiful, less noisy, less polluting, and contribute to Mount Royal’s biodiversity for the future of our planet.