1. Fort Garry RC Cemetery
May 27, 2012

2. Seven Months Ago….
• After a Year of Study and Collaboration with
Our Neighbours on Crescent Drive and Riviera
Crescent and Meetings With All Three Levels
of Government, The New Cemetery
Committee Reported:
– The Findings
– What We Had to Do
– The Costs and Few Choices We Had
– That We Had to Move Ahead

3. The Problems Were Not New…
• 1950 Flood: The Cemetery Lost Considerable
Land. Several Graves Disinterred and Relocated.
• 1966: “The situation…has become worse…it has
eroded some 12 feet and is about 20 feet from
the nearest plot of 4 people.”
• 1968: Red River Floodway was completed.
• 2005: Large Gaps Were Showing Up on the
Riverbank. The Parish Approached the City and
Archdiocese Again for Help.

4. Two Issues
• Drainage
• Riverbank Erosion

5. Issue 1: Drainage
• Standing Water, Especially On The West Side of the
Property Prevents Families From Visiting Some of the
Graves
• Engineers Study & Proposal: Stantec
• The drainage solution was estimated at $50k
• This was addressed last fall by Red River
Construction

6. Issue 2: Erosion
• East Side Riverbank – Well Treed.
– Rip-Rap Blanket of Rocks From Previous Years
– Stable for the Past Several Years
– No Immediate Threat
• West Side Riverbank – Serious Erosion
– The City Threatened That We Will Have to
Disinter Two or More Rows of Graves at Our
Cost
– We Were No Longer Permitted to Sell New
Lots Until the Problem is Resolved.

7. This Was The Turning Point…
• Consecutive Years of High Water
• Riverbank Failure on the West Side
• City Cemeteries Branch Presents Ultimatum
– No More Burials
– Force the Immediate Disinterment or 1 or 2 Rows at
an estimated $250k per row
– More Rows as Riverbank Continues to Erode –
Uncontrolled Costs
• Compromise is Negotiated

8. Picture taken in Nov 2005
On grass at edge

9. Same tree…Jun. 2011

10. Soil Testing
by KGS
We’ve Had to
Disinter One
Grave & Move
a Family Plot

13. The Choice Was Clear
• Option 1: Spend $$$ on Disinterring Row by Row
– Ongoing Liability With No $$$ Cap & Hard on
Families
• Option 2: Spend $$$ on Riverbank Stabilization –
Likely to Succeed
• The Challenge Was Funding in Either Option
– The Archdiocese secured an low interest loan for the
Parish
– Fund Raising began

14. What Has Been Done…
• The Drainage Problem was Addressed for the
Most Severe Area of Concern - $50k
• Riverbank Stabilization Strategy by KGS
• Construction by Tri-Core, Managed by KGS
– Had to be done on frozen river (Feb/Mar)
– Est. at $1.6 Million
– To date: on time, under budget with only the re-
vegetation plan to continue over next couple of years
• One grave had to be disinterred

15. Layman’s Perspective
Outside Curve Erosion

18. Layman’s Perspective
Remedies
• Goals:
– Stop the Rotation
– Protecting Surface
– Stabilizing Deep Rooted Fault
• Corrective Action:
– Shear Keys
– Resloping
– Riprap Blanket
– Vegetation

19. Unstable Shoreline
Slip
Line(s)
Water
Hard Till

20. A Platform Was Carved Out
Water
Hard Till

21. First Set of Shear Keys
71 Rock
Filled
Columns
5 feet Wide
35-40 feet Deep
Water
Hard Till

22. Second Set of Shear Keys
Rock Filled
Trench
5 feet Wide
15 feet Deep
Water
Hard Till

23. Slope Graded
Reslope
5 feet Wide
5 feet Wide
15 feet Deep
Water
Hard Till

24. Surface Protection
Riprap Blanket
Water
Hard Till

25. Re-Vegetation Over Two Years
Water
Hard Till

26. Some Construction Pictures…

44. New Policies, Procedures, etc.
• The Cemetery Committee has drafted new
policies, procedures, set new fees, instituted a
perpetual care fee, reorganized
responsibilities, etc.
• We have had one of two annual work
parties, very well attended by volunteers of
the Parish, for cleanup and light maintenance.

45. Expenditures
Phase Amount
Engineering Study $43,245
Drainage System $52,080
Engineering Design & General $182,205
Contracting
Construction $944,265
Re-Vegatation/Landscaping $52,500 (est.)
$1,284,295

46. Possible Revenue Sources
Source Amount
Parishioners/Families $400,000
City (TBD)
Province $14,000
Fundraising (Corporate, Grants, etc.) $500,000
GST Rebate $32,000
Future Development (e.g. Columbariums) $200,000
Shortfall $139,000
$1,285,000

47. Fund Raising and Stewardship
• Fund Raising to Date Exceeds $115k (7 mons)
• Further commitments of $85k+ in pledges
• Since 1979, St. Vital Parish has had a number of
Million Dollar projects – all paid off in record time
• Parishioners are Generous – It Only Takes Time
• We Will Continue to Fund Raise Until the Parish
Debt is Completely Paid

48. Now We Have An Asset
• I Don’t Remember the Last Time We Spoke of
the Cemetery as an Asset…
• Now, The Land Has Been Stabilized and
Protected
• It’s Beautiful Mature Riverbank Property in
the Heart of Fort Garry Parkland

49. Early in the Conceptual Phase
• We’re Working On a Master Plan for the
Cemetery with KGS and Scatliff-Miller-Murray
Landscape Architects

50. St. Vital Parish
FORT GARRY R.C. CEMETERY
CONCEPTUAL LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN
Proposed Site Features and Enhancements:
Entry Gate and Fence
New Vehicle Access and Gate
New Crucifix Monument with Niche Base

51. St. Vital Parish
FORT GARRY R.C. CEMETERY
CONCEPTUAL LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN
Proposed Site Features and Enhancements:
Contemplation Gardens
Columbarium Niches
Memorial Benches
Memorial Tree Plantings
Riverbank Path

53. Features of Plan
• Make the Cemetery “Park Like”, Utilizing the
Natural Beauty of the River Along With the Re-
vegetation Plan
• Add ColumbariumsFunded by Pre-Selling
Niches (50% to Cost; 50% to Debt)
• Add Benches, Treed Contemplative Areas (e.g.
Shrines), Walkways, etc.
• Possibly, Add the Way of the Cross
• Create a Beautiful Curb-Side Appeal

54. Expanding Our Community of Friends
of Fort Garry RC Cemetery
• Looking for Volunteers to help raise funds
• Encouraging you and others to consider Fort Garry RC
Cemetery as your final resting place
– There are 300+ plots (e.g. couples) still available for full
burial and/or cremations
– There will be another 300+ Niches for Cremations
– It will be a beautiful sacred place for you and your loved
ones.
• We’re Looking for Donations and/or Pledges to Pay
Down the Parish Loan
• Please Contact the Parish Office.

55. Thank You!