Dealing with the death of a loved one is a harrowing experience. You feel and miss them; an overwhelming outpour of memories haunts you everywhere you go. After anyone’s passing, you have a mountain of difficult financial, emotional, and social choices to make. Do you really want to look for burial options in cemeteries near Greater Vancouver in such a situation?
In the lower mainland, if you pre-book or pre-purchase a burial plot, you can avoid the risk of failing to find an appropriate resting place for your loved one. Otherwise, you may have to look for a cemetery tirelessly for days, pay an exorbitant amount, and still not get the opportunity to arrange a perfect burial for them. You may even have to resort to burying them in resold plots or giving up exclusive rights to the plot.
With the ever-rising cost of burials in the lower mainland and the involvement of corporations, many cemeteries are prioritizing profit generation over caring for their communities. The longer you wait, the lower your chances of getting the ideal burial plot becomes. So, let’s take a proper look at why you should avoid looking for burial plots after your loved one’s passing.
5 Reasons to Pre-Purchase a Burial Plot: Addressing the Crisis in Greater Vancouver Cemeteries
Due to Greater Vancouver’s high population density, its cemeteries have long struggled to keep up with the demand for new burial plots. With the lower mainland’s growing population and other contributing factors, here are 5 compelling reasons to secure a burial plot ahead of time:
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Lack of Burial Spaces
Land, no matter the purpose, will always be limited in availability. Burial plots are also real estate, and they are in higher demand than any other land. It stands to reason that a high population-density metropolitan area such as Greater Vancouver will rapidly run out of places to bury its dead.Cemeteries in Greater Vancouver are not unfamiliar with this shortage of burial plots. After 2015, burial spaces became so hard to locate that around 80% of people have chosen to cremate their loved ones there. Plots have become so rare that many prolific cemeteries have been forced to close down their services.
A cemetery in Vancouver, for example, halted the sale of new burial space in 1986 due to a lack of vacancies. Although redevelopment efforts later allowed the cemetery to reopen in 2008, it faced an extended closure period for new interment sales because available space was exhausted. The cemetery has admitted that traditional burial spaces will be exhausted in the next two decades.
The shortage has gotten so severe that many grieving families have no choice but to bury their dead in resold plots. According to Consumer Protection BC, you are only purchasing the right to be interred if you purchase such a plot, not the plot itself. This leaves the door open for someone else to be buried in that very space. Those who’ve had to opt for this option had to give up their family legacies.
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Locking In A Reasonable Burial Plot Price
As burial plots become rarer and rarer, their prices increase further out of reach. In 2017, a casket space in some cemeteries with only flat markers cost $23,000. In 2023, that price skyrocketed to an astounding $54,000 in a Burnaby Cemetery. The cheapest Catholic burial plot for urns in Lower Mainland costs above $3,000 that year, with some cemeteries in Southern Surrey charging up to $30,000.As real estate prices in Greater Vancouver continue to rise with inflation and high demand, locking in a burial plot at today’s cost can lead to significant savings over time. A 2021 article notes that purchasing a cemetery plot in advance helps you avoid future price hikes and ensures that you are not forced to pay premium rates when space becomes even more scarce.
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Finding The Perfect Burial Plot
Everyone wants their loved one’s final resting place to be perfect. However, perfection takes time. Time you won’t have after their passing. You do not want to live with the regret of failing to arrange a proper goodbye for them.Pre-purchasing a burial plot gives you the luxury of time. You get to explore different cemeteries and select a location that best meets your personal, familial, or cultural preferences. With advanced planning, you can secure a spot in a cemetery with a peaceful setting or in an area of sentimental value. You may never have these options if you choose to wait instead.
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Peace of Mind for You and Your Loved Ones
Anyone mourning the loss of a loved one becomes vulnerable. Affected by intense grief, they find it significantly difficult to function normally, let alone make critical financial or emotional decisions. Leaving the choice of burial plot and method for the future means that you have to make these lifetime choices on the spot, and while you’re mentally compromised.Choosing to make these arrangements will save you and your family members a frantic rush to find the proper burial site in a cemetery near the lower mainland. When the inevitable happens, you won’t have to compare pricing or spend hours managing every single detail. You can be with your family instead, comforting them and helping them process the loss.
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Creating A Family Legacy
Burial sites stand as historical proof and landmarks of one’s family legacy. A family estate can preserve valuable family values, and be a testament to the family’s achievement. Preserving burial sites can give future generations a safe space to learn and build their own identities.However, you cannot expect to preserve your family’s grave sites if you do not make the plans in advance. Without prior planning in a rapidly shrinking market, you run the risk of burying your family members in different spaces under different conditions. Pre-purchasing family estates also gives you the freedom to customize the land to match your family values. Without choosing in advance, you fail to commemorate the uniqueness and the core values of your family.
If you fail to secure a burial space for your loved one in advance, you essentially lose more money, resources, effort, mental peace, and more. You risk losing your family’s history and legacy forever. So, don’t leave the choice hanging and contact us at Bakerview today.
Bakerview Memorial Cemetery. Run By Experts Who Care.
Bakerview Memorial Cemetery is Metro Vancouver’s newest large-format cemetery. Located in Langley, it offers the highest degree of professional care for your loved ones at affordable prices. At Bakerview, prices start from $99 a month for burial niches, and $300 a month for burial sites, with options for family burial sites. Right now, we have a spring promotion going, and you can save up to 25% on costs. Most importantly, the burial plots you purchase here are yours to keep forever.
There’s no cemetery near Greater Vancouver, especially in the Fraser Valley, that offers Bakerview’s level of care at such prices. Our staff have over a century’s worth of experience collectively and they are experts in all cultural and religious practices. So, don’t wait any further and lock in your price today by giving us a call at (604) 670-7048.
Conclusion
Pre-purchasing a burial plot in Greater Vancouver secures a dignified resting place while safeguarding your family from future financial strain. It provides peace of mind, ensuring that critical end-of-life decisions aren’t made under duress during grief. So lock in today’s prices, and pick a location that reflects your family’s legacy. Plan ahead to preserve your loved one’s memory and secure your family’s history in these challenging times.
Published: January 9, 2025
