Sitting at her grandparents’ graves in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Vernon councilor Kari Gares looked around her and noticed the absence of flowers among the rows of headstones.
She told the story as the council re-visited its cemetery bylaw on Monday, September 25, referring to a staff report prepared in the wake of a delegation visit on September 11, requesting the council re-examine its decision to only allow artificial flowers from October to March, and not in the summer months. “For some people, flowers give peace. It’s a way to honor their family members,” said Gares. “There is a sense of peace, but the cemetery aspect is subjective to whoever is there.”
Council and the city have come under considerable fire from the public for its bylaw, which allows fresh-cut flowers to be placed in vases at grave sites from March 15 to October 15, and, from October 16 to March 14, potted plants, wreaths, artificial floral arrangements, and seasonal floral tributes may be placed on plots.
Trinkets of any kind are not allowed at all to be placed on headstones or grave markers for safety reasons. On Monday, the council voted to stay the course with its current bylaw.
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