Town of Taber
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Cemetery- Burials/Internments & Funeral Arrangements
We require all applicable documents to be completed and provided a minimum of 2 full business days in advance of the intended interment date.
Holidays and weekends are not considered business days. For example, if notice is given on a Friday, the earliest the burial can be done is the following Tuesday. If notice is given on a Friday and the Monday is a holiday, the earliest the burial can take place is Wednesday. Late notice is subject to a fee if it is determined the burial can be accommodated.
If possible, please give as much advanced notice as possible (more than 48 hours is preferred), particularly if you are arranging your own burial instead of going through a Funeral Home. This allows us to help you get all the proper documents and arrangements in time for the burial to occur.
For more information please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us.
No, you are not required to use a funeral home to make burial arrangements, though we highly encourage you to use one for easiest navigation of the process. Funeral Homes are familiar with our processes, the legal requirements for burial, and are able to make the necessary arrangements directly with the Town on behalf of your family. We work closely with the majority of funeral homes located within Southern Alberta.
If you do choose to arrange a burial without the assistance of a funeral home, please contact our Cemetery Clerk as early as possible so we can walk you through our requirements for burial. You will also be required to apply for a Burial Permit through the Government of Alberta, as required by law, as well as make arrangements for the purchase of a vault, as required by our Cemetery Bylaw.
For casket vaults/liners, licensed and insured companies must perform the installation and supply.
For urn vaults, a family may install the vault at the time of burial by pre-arranging with our Cemetery Clerk to ensure our staff make the necessary preparations of the gravesite. We will need the Hight, Width, and Length dimensions of the urn vault to ensure the grave is opened appropriately.
Yes, in accordance with the Town of Taber Cemetery Bylaw a vault or grave liner is required for all interments, including cremations.
The Town does not sell these items. You can purchase them through any funeral home of your choice, however.
The graves in Rows A – G are 4 feet wide and 8 feet long (4' x 8'). The graves in Rows H-J are 5 feet wide and 10 feet long (5' x 10').
In accordance with the Town of Taber Cemetery Bylaw each grave is allowed to include a maximum of 1 casket (also known as a traditional burial), and a maximum of 5 urns. The casket must be buried first, as per bylaw.
In accordance with Town of Taber Cemetery Bylaw, we allow a maximum of 5 urns in each grave. These urns are placed in the north-west, north-east, south-west, south-east corners of the grave, and in the center.
At this time we do not allow green burials in Taber Memorial Gardens. Green burials are a growing burial offering seen in many municipalities designed to reduce environmental impact and ensure a legacy of protecting the land, with an emphasis on sustainability and simplicity.
We allows burials 7 days a week, including most holidays. Please note fees will vary depending on the day of the week or on holidays. Please see our latest fee listing here.
Taber Memorial Gardens is governed by Town of Taber Cemetery Bylaw and the Alberta Cemeteries Act and Regulations.
These structures stop the grave from sinking and stops the weight of the earth from damaging the interred casket or urn.
Cemetery- Columbarium
These 3 structures are called a columbarium. A columbarium is a structure designed to accommodate urns, and have become a popular interment alternative to traditional burials over the last few years. The niches within the columbarium serve a similar purpose to that of a grave site and monument, as it becomes a place for family and loved ones to visit and pay their respects.
Please contact Southland Funeral Chapel at 403-223-8778 or by email at info@southlandfuneral.com and they will be happy to assist you.
Southland Funeral Chapel owns and administers the sale of the columbaria niches within Taber Memorial Gardens. For more information, please contact Southland Funeral Chapel at 403-223-8778 or by email at info@southlandfuneral.com.
Cemetery- Disinterment
A disinterment can be done upon request, but requires a permit from the Province of Alberta. To learn more about the process for disinterment, please see the information on the Government’s website here.
Cemetery- Field of Honour & Veterans
Our local Royal Canadian Legion Branch #20 honours the service of our veterans by placing flags on the monuments of known veterans within our cemetery during their annual Remembrance Day programs in November. If you would like to inquire about this program and to see if a veteran is on their list, please contact the Legion directly at 403-223-3822.
Yes, there are a number of Veterans in Taber Memorial Gardens who were interred outside of the Field of Honour. It is not a requirement that Veterans be buried in the Field of Honour.
We try our best to.
Since 2021, in partnership initiated by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #20, Administration has been working to identify the interment locations of Canadian Veterans throughout Taber Memorial Gardens, and tracking their Veteran status within our cemetery software. This will continue to be an ongoing project as more information becomes available. If you believe a family member or loved-one has been missed, please contact the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us and we would be very happy to make changes to our records.
The World War I Memorial is located in the southern portion of the cemetery in Row B. The Field of Honour is located in the southern portion of the cemetery in Row H.
The Field of Honour is only available to Veterans and their spouses.
Cemetery- Funeral Assistance & Planning Arrangements Yourself
We require all applicable documents to be completed and provided a minimum of 2 full business days in advance of the intended interment date.
Holidays and weekends are not considered business days. For example, if notice is given on a Friday, the earliest the burial can be done is the following Tuesday. If notice is given on a Friday and the Monday is a holiday, the earliest the burial can take place is Wednesday. Late notice is subject to a fee if it is determined the burial can be accommodated.
If possible, please give as much advanced notice as possible (more than 48 hours is preferred), particularly if you are arranging your own burial instead of going through a Funeral Home. This allows us to help you get all the proper documents and arrangements in time for the burial to occur.
For more information please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us.
No, you are not required to use a funeral home to make burial arrangements, though we highly encourage you to use one for easiest navigation of the process. Funeral Homes are familiar with our processes, the legal requirements for burial, and are able to make the necessary arrangements directly with the Town on behalf of your family. We work closely with the majority of funeral homes located within Southern Alberta.
If you do choose to arrange a burial without the assistance of a funeral home, please contact our Cemetery Clerk as early as possible so we can walk you through our requirements for burial. You will also be required to apply for a Burial Permit through the Government of Alberta, as required by law, as well as make arrangements for the purchase of a vault, as required by our Cemetery Bylaw.
For casket vaults/liners, licensed and insured companies must perform the installation and supply.
For urn vaults, a family may install the vault at the time of burial by pre-arranging with our Cemetery Clerk to ensure our staff make the necessary preparations of the gravesite. We will need the Hight, Width, and Length dimensions of the urn vault to ensure the grave is opened appropriately.
We cannot accommodate such requests, and encourage you to reach out to a funeral home to ask for items such as these.
Yes, in accordance with the Town of Taber Cemetery Bylaw a vault or grave liner is required for all interments, including cremations.
Thank you for your interest, but we are not able to help you make funeral arrangements. We assist only with opening and closing the graves for burial.
The Town does not sell these items. You can purchase them through any funeral home of your choice, however.
Please contact us as soon as possible to arrange for this type of request. We do allow urn vaults to be installed by the family, but we need prior notice to allow for the necessary preparations for the gravesite, as we will need to know if the vault fits within our Bylaw requirements and what the size of the vault is so the grave can be opened accordingly.
At this time we do not allow green burials in Taber Memorial Gardens. Green burials are a growing burial offering seen in many municipalities designed to reduce environmental impact and ensure a legacy of protecting the land, with an emphasis on sustainability and simplicity.
We allows burials 7 days a week, including most holidays. Please note fees will vary depending on the day of the week or on holidays. Please see our latest fee listing here.
These structures stop the grave from sinking and stops the weight of the earth from damaging the interred casket or urn.
We are unable to assist with these types of services, though we may be able to point you in the direction of where to find resources.
Cemetery- Genealogical Searches
Please check out our new online database here! Please note that this database is an ongoing project and is subject to change without notice. Please also note that due to the age of our cemetery, some historic records may be incomplete or inaccurate. The Town of Taber does not guarantee the correctness of any information found on our online database.
If you have any questions regarding the information included on this database, please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or by email and we will do our best to assist you.
Yes, we are pleased to have permanent row markers and a large map directly within the Taber Memorial Gardens to assist you.
Unfortunately at this time we do not have a robust system indicating what graves do or not have a monument, but please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us and we will do our best to assist you. A good resource to use is Find A Grave, though this is a third-party website and the Town of Taber does not endorse nor provide the information found on this site.
At this time there is only one cemetery within the Town of Taber. If you are looking for information on cemeteries located within the Municipal District of Taber, please see here for more information.
A potter's field, or also historically called a paupers' grave, was commonly used for unknown, unclaimed or indigent individuals. Historically, it has also been suggested that criminals, such as horse thieves and murderers, were often buried outside of the cemetery to demonstrate their “status” within the community.
The Town of Taber is aware of 3 graves located in what we call the Potter's Field, located in the far northwest corner of the cemetery. In 2015 these graves were brought to Southland Funeral Chapel's attention, who felt strongly that every individual regardless of their social status, race or creed, deserves the respect of a dignified burial. Southland Funeral Chapel made the decision to mark the graves of the three men interred in the Potter's Field. For additional information on these graves, please check out Southland Funeral Chapel's website here.
We would love to help! Please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us and we will do our best to assist you.
Cemetery- Maintenance, Ground Care, and Trees
The Town of Taber does have a Memorial Tree and Bench Program, please see the program information here.
Please note that because we are a cemetery, there are specific locations earmarked for trees within the Taber Memorial Gardens whereby the trees will not interfere with the burials surrounding it. We cannot accommodate requests for tree planting on existing grave locations or burials. Additionally, only specific types of trees are allowed to be planted inside the Taber Memorial Gardens for the same reason. Please contact the Cemetery Clerk is you have questions about what types of trees will be allowed within the Taber Memorial Gardens.
Commemorative items, such as glass bottles, earthen jars, metal or wooden boxes, and other memorial items are unacceptable within any section of the cemetery. The Town will remove all items placed in the cemetery without authorization.
Artificial and real arrangements, flowers, and places are acceptable throughout the year if they are contained within a vase affixed on or near the monument and do not pose as a safety hazard to the cemetery employees engaged in their duties.
The Town will remove without notice all items that are found to be in a state of disrepair or become unsightly, are placed somewhere other than an affixed vase, or deemed a potential hazard.
No, for maintenance purposes we do not allow anyone to plant trees, shrubs, or flowers on any graves in the cemetery. If you would like to plant a memorial tree, please refer to the Town of Taber Memorial Tree and Bench Program.
The graves in Rows A – G are 4 feet wide and 8 feet long (4' x 8'). The graves in Rows H-J are 5 feet wide and 10 feet long (5' x 10').
After a burial occurs, we wait 1 full year for the grave to settle before sod is installed on the grave. We do this so the ground has time to settle, which will give the sod the best opportunity to take root and grow on the gravesite. This means if the grave was opened on June 1st, 2022, sod would not be installed on the grave until after June 1st, 2023. This is the same for casket burials or urn burials.
If a grave was opened in the spring or summer, we still have to wait one full year for the ground to settle. For example, a grave opened in June of 2022 will not have sod installed until after June 2023 has passed, and will be placed in the late summer installation period (ie: September of 2023).
Sod work is not done in winter or when the weather could conceivably interfere with the survival of the sod. For example, if the grave was opened on April 30, 2022, the sod would not be installed until the summer of 2023 (in order to meet the one-year requirement and to make sure the risk of frost kill has passed), making it slightly longer than a year for sod to be installed.
Additionally, sod work is typically done twice per year when the weather is advantageous for sod survival (typically June and September), and when sod is able to be purchased (typically June). Sod installation is also dependent on crew scheduling and availability.
Our crews do their very best to install sod and keep it healthy. You may experience high levels of irrigation on newly-sodded areas to allow for the grass to establish itself. In difficult weather conditions (extreme heat or cold), the sod may become damaged or may not survive. In these instances, our crews will determine the best way forward for establishing new sod.
If you have questions about sod work in the cemetery, you are always welcome to contact us at 403-223-5500 or email us.
Administration continues to work to develop Taber Memorial Gardens through a number of annual projects, plans, and grants through the year to further enhance the cemetery.
Cemetery- Maps & Inside the Cemetery
Taber Memorial Gardens is situated on the west side of 50th Street, approximately 1 mile north of 64th Avenue.
Yes, we are pleased to have permanent row markers and a large map directly within the Taber Memorial Gardens to assist you.
The only special sections of the cemetery are the Field of Honour, Potter's Field, and the Columbarium area. The rest of the cemetery is reserved for burials, and is non-denominational by design.
The crosses located at the entrance gates of the cemetery are historical and have been located at the entrance of the cemetery since its early days. But our cemetery is non-denominational and accommodates burials for all religions.
You can find a map to Taber Memorial Gardens here.
At this time there is only one cemetery within the Town of Taber. If you are looking for information on cemeteries located within the Municipal District of Taber, please see here for more information.
A potter's field, or also historically called a paupers' grave, was commonly used for unknown, unclaimed or indigent individuals. Historically, it has also been suggested that criminals, such as horse thieves and murderers, were often buried outside of the cemetery to demonstrate their “status” within the community.
The Town of Taber is aware of 3 graves located in what we call the Potter's Field, located in the far northwest corner of the cemetery. In 2015 these graves were brought to Southland Funeral Chapel's attention, who felt strongly that every individual regardless of their social status, race or creed, deserves the respect of a dignified burial. Southland Funeral Chapel made the decision to mark the graves of the three men interred in the Potter's Field. For additional information on these graves, please check out Southland Funeral Chapel's website here.
Cemetery- Monuments
We allow monuments to be constructed of bronze, granite, or marble to be installed in a flat, pillow, or upright style. Please see our Monument Regulations here for more information.
If you would like to use an alternative material or style, requests can be made in writing to the Cemetery Manager. For more information please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or by email.
- No, any and all work at Taber Memorial Gardens requires authorization from the Town, and may only be conducted through licensed and insured firms. Additionally, a permit is required prior to any monument installations.
Commemorative items, such as glass bottles, earthen jars, metal or wooden boxes, and other memorial items are unacceptable within any section of the cemetery. The Town will remove all items placed in the cemetery without authorization.
Artificial and real arrangements, flowers, and places are acceptable throughout the year if they are contained within a vase affixed on or near the monument and do not pose as a safety hazard to the cemetery employees engaged in their duties.
The Town will remove without notice all items that are found to be in a state of disrepair or become unsightly, are placed somewhere other than an affixed vase, or deemed a potential hazard.
No, foot markers are not permitted within Taber Memorial Gardens. In accordance with the Monument Regulations and Cemetery Bylaw 20-2007 we only allow 1 monument per gravesite, with the exception 'Double Monuments' as described in the Regulations here.
Unfortunately at this time we do not have a robust system indicating what graves do or not have a monument, but please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us and we will do our best to assist you. A good resource to use is Find A Grave, though this is a third-party website and the Town of Taber does not endorse nor provide the information found on this site.
Please contact the Cemetery Clerk at your earliest convenience at 403-223-5515 or by email, and we will address your concern at our earliest availability as part of our perpetual care of the grounds. Please note that perpetual care does not include the maintenance, repair, or replacement of damaged or illegible monuments.
You are also welcome to submit a service request for a sinking/crooked/tilted monument through our website.
Unfortunately no. It is not a requirement to have a monument at an occupied grave, and some historic graves may have lost their monuments over time. For information on available graves, please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us.
A monument permit is required prior to the installation, removal, or alteration of a monument within Taber Memorial Gardens. The permit outlines the monument information, type, materials, etc., contact information, and acknowledgement from the Town. Please see here for a copy.
Cemetery- Other Common Questions
The only special sections of the cemetery are the Field of Honour, Potter's Field, and the Columbarium area. The rest of the cemetery is reserved for burials, and is non-denominational by design.
The crosses located at the entrance gates of the cemetery are historical and have been located at the entrance of the cemetery since its early days. But our cemetery is non-denominational and accommodates burials for all religions.
Unfortunately, the Taber Memorial Gardens does not allow for pet burials.
We would love to help! Please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us and we will do our best to assist you.
At this time we do not allow green burials in Taber Memorial Gardens. Green burials are a growing burial offering seen in many municipalities designed to reduce environmental impact and ensure a legacy of protecting the land, with an emphasis on sustainability and simplicity.
A potter's field, or also historically called a paupers' grave, was commonly used for unknown, unclaimed or indigent individuals. Historically, it has also been suggested that criminals, such as horse thieves and murderers, were often buried outside of the cemetery to demonstrate their “status” within the community.
The Town of Taber is aware of 3 graves located in what we call the Potter's Field, located in the far northwest corner of the cemetery. In 2015 these graves were brought to Southland Funeral Chapel's attention, who felt strongly that every individual regardless of their social status, race or creed, deserves the respect of a dignified burial. Southland Funeral Chapel made the decision to mark the graves of the three men interred in the Potter's Field. For additional information on these graves, please check out Southland Funeral Chapel's website here.
Cemetery- Pre-Planning & Purchases
Yes, you may transfer your ownership and burial rights to a new grave within Taber Memorial, and relinquish your ownership and burial rights on the previous one. Please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us to discuss further or for more information and fees associated with this process.
Absolutely! Graves can be pre-purchased at any time, and our staff would be happy to assist you.
The graves in Rows A – G are 4 feet wide and 8 feet long (4' x 8'). The graves in Rows H-J are 5 feet wide and 10 feet long (5' x 10').
We do not have a list of available graves for purchase at this time. Please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us to discuss your options or for further information associated with this process. The purchase of a grave can be done over telecommunications or in-person.
If you have family in the Taber Memorial Gardens you would like to purchase a grave near, or a particular area in the cemetery you are interested in, please let the Clerk know. This helps us find available grave locations we can help you decide on. If you have no preference, we can also assist with that.
The cost of a single grave, including perpetual care, can be found on our Fee Listing here.
Unfortunately no. It is not a requirement to have a monument at an occupied grave, and some historic graves may have lost their monuments over time. For information on available graves, please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us.
At this time, we do not have a publicly available map or database indicating all the graves available for purchase in Taber Memorial Gardens. If you are interested in purchasing a grave or finding an available grave within Taber Memorial Gardens please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or emailing us. We would be happy to show you the available options.
At this time we do not allow green burials in Taber Memorial Gardens. Green burials are a growing burial offering seen in many municipalities designed to reduce environmental impact and ensure a legacy of protecting the land, with an emphasis on sustainability and simplicity.
A list of our fees can be found here. At the time of pre-purchasing a grave we are only able to charge for the cost of the grave and perpetual care. All opening/closing fees are charged at the time of interment. This is due to the different fees dependent on the type of burial and the day and time chosen for burial.
Cemetery- Returns/Transfers/Exchanges
Yes, you may transfer your ownership and burial rights to a new grave within Taber Memorial, and relinquish your ownership and burial rights on the previous one. Please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us to discuss further or for more information and fees associated with this process.
Yes, you may return your grave directly back to the Town of Taber for 85% of the original purchase price or 35% of the current selling price, whichever is the higher of the two.
In accordance with the Alberta Cemeteries Act you can also sell the grave privately on the open market, for no more than what they are currently sold for by the Municipality (based on our current Fee Schedule). Please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us to discuss further or for more information on this process.
Please note that if the graves are in the name of a family or purchased by a family member who has since passed, possession of the graves follows the estate of the purchaser, unless other instructions were provided at the time of the sale. Our Cemetery Clerk may ask for estate documents to prove ownership in the case of a sale. Please contact our Clerk if this is the case, and we will be happy to help.
Yes, you may transfer your ownership of burial rights to another person. Please call the Cemetery Clerk at 403-223-5515 or email us to discuss further or for more information and fees associated with this process.