Licensing cemeteries ensures they are maintained
C
emeteries are more than just sites whereupon the departed rest.
While there are religious, cultural, and heritage-based reasons behind their foundation, their continued preservation becomes vital through licensing. Michael D’Mello, Deputy Registrar of the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, says that cemeteries are
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legally required to be licensed, to ensure that a specified owner is granted rights to any plot of land designated as a cemetery. “The current licensing guidelines for cemeteries requires the landowner to get approval and consent from the registrar, as well as filing detailed plans of the markings of the cemetery to us,” D’Mello said. “This certifies that we know who the operators and owners are, so
