Updated April 2022
We invite all those who want to help us make our cemeteries havens of peace and sustainable development to come and walk and pay their respects. Les Jardins du Souvenir owns fifteen (15) cemeteries in the Outaouais region, covering an area of over 500,000 m2.
We estimate that tens of thousands of these m2 are currently unused, and do not justify the environmental impact of weekly maintenance.
The use of energy-hungry petrol-powered equipment such as lawn tractors, mowers and trimmers produces a lot of polluting emissions and has a negative impact on the surrounding environment (people, fauna, flora).
We have therefore decided to create “environmental protection zones” in some of our cemeteries (where possible), i.e. areas where we will encourage these sections to return to their natural state.
We’ll let the grass grow and sow wildflower seeds to encourage the return of bees. In some sections, we’ll even let some tree shoots grow to encourage bird nesting. We ask you to avoid walking in these areas that have been returned to their natural state (long grass) to avoid trampling the flowers and to avoid catching poison ivy or being bitten by ticks.
These sections will be chosen with a view to harmonizing them with the surrounding area, and we’ll make sure to carry out the maintenance and work required so that we can use them at any time, according to our development needs, to support the growth of our cemeteries.
At Gardens of Remembrance, we’re committed to integrating the principles of sustainable development into our operations, and we’re proud to say that every small gesture in favour of the environment is a gesture in favour of our community. If you would like to contribute to the environmental management of our cemeteries by proposing ideas or submitting projects, please contact us at info@lesjardinsdusouvenir.com or 819-778-1515.
*Dog owners are welcome to bring their pets along on a leash, provided they pick up after themselves. During your walks, please stay on the paths and avoid long grass to avoid being the target of ticks and other such bugs.
Snow Removal Policy for Gardens of Remembrance Cemeteries
Considering that climate change is having an increasingly significant impact on the seasons, and particularly on our winters (succession of rain, sleet, snow, cold, etc.), Les Jardins du Souvenir has decided to review its snow-clearing policies.
For winter, the following rules will apply:
- On stormy days, priority will be given to clearing snow from Notre-Dame, Saint-Rédempteur, Saint-Paul, Saint-François-de-Sales, Saint-Jean-Marie-Vianney cemeteries and cemeteries where burials are scheduled;
- We are committed to completing snow removal and abrasive spreading in all our cemeteries within 24 hours of the end of the storm;
- On stormy days, we invite our customers and visitors to avoid driving through our cemeteries to avoid getting stuck in the snow or on the ice, and to avoid interfering with snow removal operations;
- Given the low number of burials recorded in previous years in certain cemeteries, and to continue the tradition of parish cemeteries that did not perform winter burials, we will not be systematically clearing snow from the following cemeteries: Saint-Alexandre, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, Saint-Fidèle, Saint-Louis-de-France, Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours de Montebello, Saint-Nom-de-Marie, Saint-Pierre de Wakefield, Ange-Gardien (with the exception of the columbarium section), Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk, Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue, Sainte Valérie; However, if families request that we proceed with interments in one of these cemeteries, we will see to it that they are cleared of snow for that day. A fee may be charged.
