Unveiling the Natural Burial Monument: A Community Gathering at Quadra Island Cemetery
On the afternoon of May 30, from 2-4 pm, the community is warmly invited to gather at the Quadra Island Cemetery for a special event: the unveiling of the Natural Burial monument. This gathering is a collaboration between the Quadra Island Cemetery Society and Way To Go, offering an opportunity for islanders to come together, honour those buried there, and deepen our connection to this important community space.
More than simply a burial ground, the cemetery is a place of memory, history, healing, and belonging. Having a cemetery within one’s own community offers profound benefits. It gives families and friends a place close to home where they can visit, reflect, and remember their loved ones. It also preserves the stories of those who have helped shape the life of the island across generations.
The history of the Quadra Island Cemetery stretches back more than a century. It was formally established in 1915, though some grave markers predate that year, having been moved from family homesteads. The oldest marker belongs to Frederick Charles Yeatman, who died in 1903. One of the earliest stories held by the cemetery is that of Alice Bryant, who died of diphtheria at age sixteen in 1913 and was later reinterred when the cemetery was ready for use.
For generations, the cemetery has been generously cared for by island volunteers. In the 1920s, the Women’s Institute took on its stewardship, later followed by a community board, and since 2018, the Quadra Island Cemetery Society has continued this tradition through the dedicated work of local trustees.
In recent years, the cemetery has evolved to include a Natural Burial area, created in response to growing community interest in green burial practices. Established in 2019, with the first natural burial taking place in 2021, this area has become an increasingly meaningful option for many families. There are now almost 20 loved ones buried in this section, a reflection of the community’s embrace of family-led and environmentally conscious end-of-life choices.
The natural burial area offers a gentle and ecologically respectful way of memorializing loved ones. Individual graves may be marked with biodegradable adornments, which over time return naturally to the earth and become part of the surrounding landscape.
The newly unveiled Natural Burial monument will provide a permanent place of remembrance. A memorial pole has been installed where a plaque bearing the name of each person buried in the natural burial area can be placed. This creates a lasting space for commemoration while honouring the restorative nature of the forest setting.
The May 30 gathering is an invitation not only to witness the unveiling of this new monument, but also to get to know the cemetery better as a place where memory, grief, history, and belonging are woven together into the life of our community.