Landscaping in the Cemetery

The Cemetery Committee is undertaking a landscaping project in the Jewish Cemetery which is unique for cemeteries in the Greater Victoria area and beyond. 

The use of concrete covers on graves dates back to the times when there was concern about grave robbing and/or animals foraging for food. Although both problems no longer pose a threat, the use of concrete to cover a grave has continued. 

After many years of neglecting the cemetery, in the 1940s a cemetery committee was formed. They were faced with the task of mapping the cemetery after a long absence of record keeping, and a variety of attempts to record plot locations accurately.

The committee members contacted known relatives and created the bases of the cemetery as we know it today. However reconciling the various records resulted in losing some of the plot locations. The current Cemetery Committee is focused on righting these historical wrongs and acknowledging the people known to be buried in the cemetery.

Some of the previously unknown plot locations have been found and new grave stones will be placed on the family plots. The previous Cemetery Committee followed the fashion of the times and used concrete to cover the graves. The current Cemetery Committee will be removing those concrete grave covers to add new markers.

It is now known that concrete is toxic to make, releases releases carbon dioxide into the environment as it breaks down, and also contaminates the soil. So, the Cemetery Committee has decided not to replace the cement, but rather to plant ground covering that will attract pollinators, require little or no maintenance once established and respect the natural environment of the cemetery.

Once completed it will make our cemetery a pioneer in using a cemetery as a site for restoring a more natural habitat.

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