A cemetery is now being proposed between the TransCanada Trail and the main Whiteshell Park service road. An enchanting Red Pine Forest had been planted there many years ago. A beautiful TransCanada Trail was built, from donations, through this forest. This area, being one of the most scenic parts of the Whiteshell Trail and on a lovely scenic drive for all park visitors, should not be developed.
After visiting the site, one realizes that the cutting down of many trees, making roads into the site, the use of much heavy machinery, the digging up of the fragile ecosystem, and the digging up of graves will destroy the scenic beauty of this spot. Future proposed expansion lies even closer to the trail and will entail more destruction. The small buffer of forest is not adequate between the trail and the cemetery. Many cars parked on the road or in a parking lot will further impact the area. The bedrock is not far from the surface and one wonders how the graves will be made deep enough. I’d like to see the forest and not a fenced cemetery when walking, hiking, skiing or biking along the trail.
There are more people benefiting from the Park’s natural beauty than would benefit from the cemetery. More development is not desirable to disturb the beauty of our Park.
Please, please, say NO to this project! The emails to write to are at the bottom of this post.
Marlene Pontifex
60 year resident of Falcon Lake & Nature Manitoba member
Basic information provided [at Cemetery Open House, Fall 2013]:
- The cemetery will start 'small' and expand as required (150' x 160'….upwards to 300' x 160')
- It will be initially sized to accommodate 200 plots
- A Columbarium will be constructed to hold cremains (in addition to the 200 plots)
- The area will be fenced
The Cemetery committee have the land survey completed and they believe they are in the final steps of confirming Manitoba Parks/Conservation approval to proceed with the cemetery.
Each of us have our own opinion on the proposed site. whether we are users of the trail, nearby cottagers/residents or citizens of the park. The Red Pine Forest is a unique feature of the trail system and PR301 Faloma. It will be irreparably impacted by the conversion to a cemetery. Let your opinion be known.
These are the e-mail contacts:
- Sue.atkin@gov.mb.ca / Parks Specialist (Lac du Bonnet) CWS
- Rhonda.kibsey@gov.mb.ca / Acting Head of Commercial Planning, CWS
- Kelvin.kowaski@gov.mb.ca / District Parks Supervisor (Falcon Lake) CWS
- Bbremner@gov.mb.ca / Bruce Bremner. Assistant Deputy Minister MB Conservation and Water Stewardship
- Minconws@leg.gov.mb.ca / Hon. Gordon Mackintosh, Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship
- wca@whiteshellcottagers.com / Generic ID from the website
- tewalker@hotmail.com / Tom Walker, President, Whiteshell Cottagers Association