Memorialization

Memorial trees can be purchased and placed in the cemetery or Brant park to honour a relative or friend.

Commemorative plaques or markers are not placed in County of Brant Cemeteries with trees.

A list of approved trees types is listed below:

• Basswood

• Blue Beech

• Bur Oak

• Canadian Serviceberry

• Eastern Rebud

• Freeman Maple 'Autumn Blaze'

• Hackberry

• Gingko/Maidenhair Tree

• Red Oak

• Ohio Buckeye

• Sugar Maple

• Swamp White Oak

• London Plane Tree

• Tulip Tree

• White Elm

Memorial benches can be purchased and placed in a cemetery or a Brant park to honour a relative or friend.

There are three (3) types of benches available for placement:

• Commemorative Steel Bench (6 foot) in Park 
• Commemorative Metal Bench (4 foot) in Cemetery 
• Commemorative Granite Bench without back - in Cemetery 

A single lot allows one upright monument unless designated as a flat marker area only:

• The maximum base size on any single lot cannot exceed 60.96 cm (24")
• The minimum thickness of a die should be 15.24 cm (6”)
• Should the monument exceed 100 cm (39.4”) in overall height, the die must be 20.3 cm (8”)

A double lot can have a maximum monument size of:

• Height: 1.22 m (4 ft - overall including the base)
• Width: 1.22 m (4 ft)
• Base (minimum): 30.48 cm (12” - front to back)
• Die (maximum): 20.50 cm (8”)

Monuments are placed at the centre of the head end of the lot, except where alignment with existing nearby monuments justifies another location.

One flat marker may be placed at the grave in addition to an upright monument. Markers and footstones of granite or bronze are permitted with size and quantity restrictions according to cemetery bylaws and the placement of such memorials shall not interfere with future interments.

• Single lot maximum: 30.48 cm x 50.80 cm (12" x 20")
• Double lot maximum: 45.72 cm x 60.96 cm (18" x 24")
• Cremation lot maximum: 30.48 cm x 50.80 cm (12" x 20")

The minimum thickness for flat markers including footstones is 4 in or 10 cm.

Purchase and Installation:

• Monuments and markers can be purchased at local monument dealers.
• Foundations for markers or monuments are installed by the County of Brant.
• A contract for the installation of the monument or etching of monuments is made with the dealer and the County of Brant.
• Applicable installation fees will be collected from the monument dealer on behalf of the family and remitted to the County.

Markers are placed at the centre of the head end of the lot, except where alignment with existing nearby monuments justifies another location.

Care and maintenance (formerly known as perpetual care) contributions became mandatory in Ontario in 1955. Forty percent of the price of each lot or columbarium niche that is purchased is put into the Care and Maintenance Trust Fund. The cemetery can use the interest off this fund to help maintain the cemetery.

Regular care and maintenance activities include:

• Cutting grass
• Leveling graves
• Tree maintenance
• Snow removal
• Road maintenance

Family members generally care for their loved one's monuments while they are able to. If a monument becomes unsafe in the cemetery, the monument is placed on the ground until restoration can occur. The County allocates a specific amount of resources for the restoration of monuments in the 35 County operated cemeteries. Monument repairs are completed in priority sequence, but it may take several years before monuments are repaired due to limited funding. There are over 6,500 monuments located in the 10 active cemeteries in the County of Brant.