Columbarium dedicated at Tiverton Cemetery

A handful of people gathered at the Tiverton Cemetery, Monday morning, for the dedication of the newly-installed columbarium there.

Kincardine public works director Adam Weishar said the unit arrived Aug. 17 and was installed in a day. The preparation work around it took about a week to complete. The project cost $60,000, he said.

The columbarium has 72 niches and each holds two urns of cremated remains, said Weishar. The Kincardine Cemetery has two such structures.

Kincardine mayor Anne Eadie welcomed everyone and praised the staff that takes such good care of the cemeteries in Tiverton, Port Bruce and Kincardine. That staff includes Jean Roppel and Donna Doern who sell the plots and niches, the new cemetery manager, Paul Lajeunesse (who just took over from long-time manager Terry Weber), and Les Kempers.

Eadie said the cemeteries are well cared for which is important in order to recognize the people who have gone before us.

Rev. Kenneth Craig of Kincardine Baptist Church, a former Kincardine councillor, offered a dedication, referring to a story in the Old Testament when Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan River. Once they crossed the river, Joshua told the leaders of the 12 tribes to each grab a rock and build a monument at that place. They did this because a time would come when their children's children would ask what that pile of rocks meant, and they could then explain the great heritage from which they had come.

"This new columbarium is much like that pile of rocks," said Craig. "It's an opportunity for generations to pay tribute to our past, our present and our future in this great community."



Gathered for the dedication of the new columbarium at the Tiverton Cemetery, Monday morning, are Les Kempers (left), Rev. Kenneth Craig, Paul Lajeunesse, Terry Weber and Karen Ribey



Kincardine mayor Anne Eadie (centre) welcomes a handful of people to the dedication of the new columbarium at the Tiverton Cemetery, Monday morning; with her, are public works director Adam Weishar (left) and Ward 3 councillor Randy Roppel