Burial plots in Metro Vancouver are now so expensive, they're being compared to real estate
Burial plots have become such a hot commodity in Metro Vancouver, one spot in a Burnaby cemetery is being sold privately online for $54,000.
The ad posted on Craigslist indicates the plot has never been used and comes with a “double-depth lawn crypt” that can hold two caskets and two urns.
But it's not just a lone ad. A scan of online marketplaces show multiple listings for burial plots from $5,000 to $12,000 to $25,000 to over $50,000.
Cemetery designer Bill Pechet says demand for spots is climbing in Metro Vancouver. But the region – surrounded by the sea and mountains – is running low on space, driving up the cost of what is available
“Just like housing, which this is a form of, cemeteries are experiencing the same space problems,” Pechet told CTV News.
And just like real estate, those who didn’t get in early may have to pay dearly in order to secure a spot due to a shortage of supply.
“Fundamentally, with our limited land base it’s inevitable that we’re going to be encountering these price increases,” he said.
Some plots are being flipped for a profit, just like condominiums are in the real estate market. The better the location, the better the view, the more they fetch.
Most people are cremated in Metro Vancouver. Sometimes that’s by choice, but often the high cost of a full burial makes it inevitable.
“I do not begrudge people for wanting to sell their gravesites because everybody’s cost of living is going up. So why wouldn’t people try and get as much as they could?” said Pechet from his East Vancouver office.
And yet, he added, we must remember to respect the dead, and those who have contributed to society. The lack of available space requires a reconsideration of what options may be available in order to balance mounting demand and respectfully laying people to rest. In Europe, for example, they have cemetery recycling programs, where, with a family’s consent, remains are respectfully removed and placed in charnel houses or vaults.
“This is relatively new to us, and we are finally reaching that point where we have to start to be more inventive and dig a little deeper, pardon the pun,” said Pechel.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
ArriveCan contractor to be admonished by MPs in extraordinarily rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.