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
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
A child killer legally changed his name in B.C. The province is trying to stop that from happening again
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.
CN Railway suspends service on some networks due to wildfires
Canadian National (CN) Railway suspended service on its network between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson in B.C. and north of High Level, Alta., due to wildfires, the company said on Monday.