The Municipality of Leamington is setting the record straight after reports about unused cemetery plots began appearing online.
Posts began circulating on social media that stated that Leamington was reselling unused family spaces at Lakeview Cemetery.
The Municipality said that the reports are false and that unused family plots are not for sale.
"For clarity, a comprehensive review of Lakeview Cemetery was conducted in 1995 by the former Town of Leamington administration in accordance with provincial legislation," read a statement from the Municipality posted on Friday. "This review complied with the requirements of the Cemeteries Act [now governed by the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002] and was intended to identify cemetery plots sold prior to 1953 that remained unused as of 1995."
After the process was completed, and only after approval from the Registrar under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, only a handful of plots were declared abandoned. Leamington legally reclaimed only those plots and was only authorized to resell those plots.
"At no point has the Municipality sold, or proposed selling, unused family plots," read the statement.
The Municipality has urged that if you see a report on social media and have a concern about it, do not take it at face value. Contact the Municipality directly if you have concerns or questions.
For those who may claim a legal interest in a burial plot that's been declared abandoned, a formal redress process is available through the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO).
