Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Shrines in public places reviewed

City wants 90-day limit on roadside memorials

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 01/10/2009 9:13 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

WINNIPEG wants to place a 90-day limit on roadside memorials to people who die on city streets in an attempt to balance the emotional needs of mourners with street-maintenance concerns and private-property rights.

The city is considering new regulations that would limit the size of roadside memorials to one cubic metre and also govern what they’re made of and where they can be placed.

The rule changes, which go before city council’s protection and community services committee on Monday, would place a 90-day limit on roadside memorials within city limits — starting from the date of death.

Roadside memorials can make it difficult for city crews to clear snow or maintain boulevards if they remain up for too long, the city’s public works and community services departments contend in a report published Friday.

They also pose a potential headache for property owners, the city maintains.

"In an urban environment such as the city of Winnipeg, there is a relatively high possibility that a roadside memorial will be located in close proximity to a residence or commercial property," the report reads. "Balancing the desires of the grieving with the views of neighbouring property owners is an important consideration in determining the need for a time limit."

Many Canadian cities have no formal policy on roadside memorials, and those that do may not enforce them, the report states. Public-opinion research conducted by a University of Calgary engineer suggested some support for roadside memorials, with 51 per cent of a 761-person survey approving the notion of allowing the shrines in public places.

"This is one of the most complicated issues you can face as a city councillor," said St. Vital Coun. Gord Steeves, who chairs council’s protection and community services committee. "It’s a difficult situation about which to have a disagreement."

The proposed new rules seem to strike a balance between what mourners want and what the city will tolerate, said Kenneth MacKendrick, a University of Manitoba religion professor who photographs roadside memorials as part of a course he teaches about death and concepts of the future.

But he said the time limit could be problematic, as 90 days does not coincide with the normal grieving period in North America.

"People would probably want to put them up one year later," he said. "The city could face some opposition."

MacKendrick said he would not be surprised if mourners ignored the rules.

If approved on Monday, the new rules also face votes at executive policy committee on Jan. 21 and council as a whole on Jan. 28.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

90 days to grieve your loved one

Proposed regulations for roadside memorials in Winnipeg: Memorials must not obstruct vehicle or pedestrian traffic and are not allowed on medians or traffic islands.

Size and materials

Memorials must be no larger than a cubic metre and can not be comprised of any material that can shatter, such as glass or ceramics.

Installation Removal

Memorials must not be attached to any city structures, such as signs or trees. They also can’t obstruct the view of any city signs or traffic signals. The person responsible for the memorial must leave their name and number attached to it, along with the date it was installed, so the city can contact that person.

Maintenance

The city may remove any memorial that gets "damaged, vandalized, disfigured or burned."

Time limit

Memorials must be removed 90 days after the death of the person being memorialized.

The city will try to notify the creators of memorials before they are removed but reserves the right to remove them "when circumstances dictate."

— Source: City of Winnipeg, community services department

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.