Green burial options growing

Winnipeg

It has never been easier for Manitobans to go green — posthumously.

On March 1, Wildlands Natural Cemetery officially became an option for Manitobans seeking natural burials after they die. The cemetery, a joint venture of the Memorial Woodland of Manitoba and Green Cemetery Project of Winnipeg groups, has a 99-year lease from the R.M. of Brokenhead on a 57-acre piece of land adjacent to the current cemetery in Tyndall, Man.

“Our challenge was that, because this was such a unique project, it was a bit of a leap of faith,” said Taras Luchak, chair of the Memorial Woodland of Manitoba group, who has been advocating for the project for 16 years. “The blending of our organizations really lit the fuse. Now that we have it, that it is physically there. I expect this to take off.”

The site will include spaces for green burial, whereby a body is interred without a marker, while the Memorial Woodland of Manitoba will also offer the option of having a true green burial with a tree planted above. Other options, Luchak added, will also be available, all under the umbrella of ‘natural burial’.

“I will choose a green burial with a tree planted on top. My atoms will blend with the tree,” Luchak said. “Or, you have the option of a pure green burial, or (being) aquamated or cremated with your remains put under a tree. We’ll have sections, to make everyone comfortable.”

To get the project off the ground, over 100 people have made deposits, committing to future interment. An open house, at which interested folks can check out the grounds, is tentatively scheduled for June 30, Luchak said. In the meantime, the group busy planning and preparing to welcome its first new permanent residents.

The Wildlands Natural Cemetery joins Brookside Cemetery as local options for those seeking green burials — two of only 13 nationwide.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Brett Shenback, cemeteries administrator for the City of Winnipeg. “We get calls weekly from folks really interested in natural burials, or who want to learn more. Natural burial is not something new. It’s more a case of what’s old is new, but for many people it is a new concept.”

Brookside began the process of naturalizing the site in 2024. It was the first cemetery in Manitoba to offer natural burials certified by the Green Burial Society of Canada. Its natural burials section is approximately half an acre in size and features local grasses and wildflowers and can accommodate approximately 130 plots. According to the City of Winnipeg’s website, this area “will be left to naturally evolve over time, with little disturbance.”

“Natural burials are not for everyone,” Shenback said. “There are a lot of people in the community where natural burial aligns well with their personal values. For some folks, it makes sense. At City of Winnipeg, we’re just providing options for folks, to help them make the best decision for them and their family. Natural burial is one of many offerings.”

To date, Shenback said over 20 lots have been sold, with the site hosting its first interment earlier this spring, with a second last week.

“There is an opportunity to expand that site should there be demand,” Shenback said.

While there aren’t immediate plans to add green burial sites at Transcona or St. Vital cemeteries, Shenback said “it’s something we can look at down the road. We want a few seasons of experience behind us before, to really monitor the site and learn from a few years of operating.”

For more information on Wildlands Natural Cemetery, visit memorialwoodland.ca

For more information on Brookside Cemetery’s natural burial site, visit winnipeg.ca/services-programs/cemeteries/brookside-cemetery/natural-burials