Cost of dying going up

Photo: City of West Kelowna

The City of West Kelowna is taking steps to make its cemetery self-sufficient.

The city has set in motion a large fee increase that would allow the Westbank Cemetery on Elliott Road to stand on its own two feet immediately.

Parks manager Stacy Harding told council an internal review of operations in terms of costs versus revenue concluded there were insufficient revenues for true self-sufficiency.

Council agreed to a two-pronged change to fees.

Rates will be adjusted to an industry average of five Okanagan communities from Vernon to Osoyoos. Once adjusted, a one-time increase of 35 per cent will be added.

The original recommendation was for more modest increases of 10 per cent a year over the next four years to avoid "sticker shock."

However, Coun. Rick deJong believed the higher increase was more appropriate to get to a break-even position immediately, rather than in a few years.

The new rates include:

Harding says at current rates of occupancy, the cemetery should have another 21 years of life. 

The Westbank Cemetery has been completely landscaped and expanded since the city took ownership in 2011, at a cost of about $1.4 million.