Woodlawn Cemetery

A. In-Ground Casket Plots

Our casket plot offerings are outlined below. All fees include a mandatory contribution for the first interment to the Perpetual Care. 

• Child plots are for a child aged 12 and under with casket length measuring less than 48 inches
• Infant plots are for an infant aged one month and younger with casket length measuring less than 24 inches 
• Military graves are for serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, allied veterans of the Second World War or Korean conflict, serving or past members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or those members of the Saskatoon Police Service killed in the line of duty and in all cases this shall include the spouse of the person.

A total combination of four interments (i.e. casket and cremation) is allowed in one plot.

Example #1 (2 caskets & 2 cremations)
In this scenario, the first casket is interred at nine feet and the second casket at six feet. Two cremations are interred at three feet.

A deepening charge will be applied to the first casket interment. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

 

Example #2 (1 casket & 3 cremations)
The first casket will be interred at six feet followed by three cremations at three feet.

Note, if a cremation was interred prior to a casket interment and the wishes are to continue with a casket interment, the cremation will be raised in order to allow for the casket to be interred. 

Example #3 (4 cremations) You may purchase a casket plot and utilize it for up to four cremations.

B. In-Ground Cremation Plots

Two cremated human remains can be interred in a single plot. Below outlines the different cremation plot offerings. All fees include a mandatory contribution for the first interment to the Perpetual Care Fund.

C. Columbarium

A columbarium is a permanent, above-ground structure that includes many spaces or niches for cremated human remains. Each niche can hold up to two cremated remains. The dimensions of the niches vary but average dimensions are 1ft high x 1ft wide x 1.5 ft deep. (30.5cm high x 30.5cm wide x 45.7cm deep).

Private Columbarium

Families can purchase their own mini columbarium for their private estate. The dimensions of the monuments are regulated by the Bylaws and Regulations.

•  Private Estate Brochure.pdf

Monuments must be purchased through a monument dealer. The sizes of these monuments vary and are designed to have anywhere from two to six niches. Each niche can hold two cremation urns.

Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

A . Adult Casket (Including Vault)

i) Fiberglass Dome

Each casket interment must be covered by a fiberglass dome which protects the casket from the weight of the soil and heavy machinery. Families can opt out of using a fiberglass dome if they purchase a concrete vault instead. A fiberglass dome may be purchased from a funeral home if it meets the cemetery Bylaws and Regulations. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

ii) Fiberglass Base and Dome

For additional protection to the casket, a fiberglass base along with the fiberglass dome can be purchased. This is optional. Please see the fee brochure for applicable fees.

 iii) Non-Sealing Concrete Vault

A non-sealing concrete vault is similar to a fiberglass dome, protecting the casket from the weight of the soil and heavy equipment. The concrete vault will provide more protection than a fiberglass dome. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

 
iv). Sealing Concrete Vault

A sealed concrete vault will prevent water and soil from entering the vault and preventing damage to the casket. Please see the fee brochure for applicable fees.
 

B. Cremated Remains

It is mandatory that each cremation interment be placed in a fiberglass vault. This protects the urn from the weight of soil and heavy machinery. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

A.Monuments

Included is the supply and installation of concrete foundations for upright monuments, installation of flat markers, and application reviews and coordinating installation with monument dealers. Local monument dealers will include these fees in their costs and forward the appropriate fee to the cemetery on your behalf.

Some areas of the cemetery will require a concrete foundation, while others have a concrete strip in place. Both options provide a level and stable surface for the monument.

Flat marker sections do not require a concrete foundation or concrete strip. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

IMPORTANT: There are regulations specifically governing the size, type, material and placement of all monuments in the cemetery (Please see Bylaws and Regulations for monuments). The City of Saskatoon accepts no responsibility for any monument work initiated prior to the approval of the application.

The  Monument application form

B. Columbarium Inscription

Columbarium niches can be inscribed after purchase. The only limitation is the number of characters that will fit on the plaque. There is an additional fee for any inscriptions required in the future. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

C. Vase Options

i) Permanent In-Ground Vase

In accordance with the Bylaws and Regulations, plastic floral arrangements must be placed in a vase. Below is an example of a vase used for flat marker sections.  The vase can be inverted upside to prevent damage when not in use or for winter storage. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

ii) Columbarium Vase

For the columbarium, a columbarium vase may be purchased and installed at a certain niche, allowing floral arrangements to be placed in accordance with the Bylaws and Regulations. Please see the fee brochure for applicable rates.

iii)Memorial Tree Stand

In the past, memorial tree stands were solely used to remember those who served in the military (See Memorial Avenue). However, they may now be purchased to remember all loved ones. The family or individual may choose the plaque inscription for available trees in the Woodlawn Cemetery that do not have memorial tree stands present.

On June 17^th 1923, Next – of - Kin Memorial Avenue was opened before a crowd of 8,000 people. This beautiful avenue serves as a living memorial to those who lost their lives in the Great War of 1914-1918. It runs from 33^rd Street, through the Woodlawn Cemetery gates and on to the Soldiers Cairn.

The impact of the First World War on Canada was far-reaching. Amongst the more than 600,000 Canadians who served, more than 66,000 were killed. Of those, 6,400 came from Saskatchewan. The dead were not repatriated.  Their remains lie interred in War Graves Cemeteries overseas. Back home, people erected plaques and monuments to recognize their sacrifice, but there was a growing desire to create more practical, community-focused memorials such as libraries and schools, named in honour of the fallen. The Roads of Remembrance movement in Britain was a part of this shift in focus. Tree-lined avenues would serve as living memorials symbolizing victory of life over death. They would also be a reminder of the poplar-lined roads of northern France.

This concept made its way to Canada. In Saskatoon, it was the IODE (Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire) who took up the cause. In 1922, the Military Chapter of the Saskatoon IODE, under the leadership of Mrs. A.H. (Margaret) Hanson and Mrs. Jean Jarvis, proposed the planting of a memorial avenue. Each tree was paid for by a relative or friend and would bear a plaque dedicated to the memory of a fallen soldier or to a military service group. A total of 266 trees along Memorial Avenue and adjacent avenues were dedicated on opening day. The Star-Phoenix wrote at the time:  “A beautiful avenue of trees was a more fitting symbol than a traditional stone monument of the eternal victory of life over death, refreshing the eye and the soul of the grateful wayfarer.”

Next- of -Kin Memorial Avenue is the only intact Road of Remembrance remaining in Canada. It was declared a National Historic Site in 1992 and a plaque was unveiled on August 28 1994.

Trees continue to be dedicated throughout the cemetery at Saskatoon’s annual Decoration Day Service. 2023 marks the 107^th anniversary of this long-standing tradition.

In recognition of the original dedication, the City of Saskatoon will hold a 100^th anniversary ceremony in Woodlawn Cemetery at 1:00 pm, June 18, 2023, with his Honour Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty, MSM, SOM and his Worship Mayor Charlie Clark.

Events will include a Military and Veterans Parade; unveiling of the 100^th Anniversary Commemorative Plaque by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor (at the inner gates to Woodlawn Cemetery); the Act of Remembrance Ceremony; and the reading of the Nominal Roll of military personnel who have died in the past year and are buried in the Veterans Section of Woodlawn Cemetery (all to be held at the Soldiers Memorial Carin). The event will culminate with the unveiling of three granite pedestals commemorating the service of the new generation of veterans, who have served on and in support of NATO Operations, United Nations Operations, and the War in Afghanistan. These pedestals will be unveiled by his Honour and his Worship, along with veterans who served on the operations/conflicts.

There will also be a historical display depicting the lives of some of the original 266 military members commemorated, as well as an audio-visual presentation detailing the unique history of Memorial Avenue.

Each of those commemorated by a tree or buried in Woodlawn Cemetery once lived among us. We should know them as the people they were and the lives they touched through their service and ultimate death. Here are the stories of three of those people of Saskatchewan who were commemorated in the first 266 trees dedicated in 1923.

Nursing Matron Margaret Fraser:

Nursing Matron Margaret Fraser, whose mother Bessie Grant Fraser was from Moose Jaw, is commemorated in Section 1, Tree 10, along with the thirteen other Nursing Sisters who died when the Hospital Ship Llandovery Castle was torpedoed and sank in June of 1918. In total, 259 crew, medical staff and passengers were killed in what was a clear violation of the laws of war. Matron Fraser was an experienced nurse, and one of four of the medical staff killed during the sinking who are individually commemorated by trees on Memorial Avenue.

Private Alexander Decoteau:

More than 4,000 First Nations and Metis soldiers served in the First World War. In Section 1, Trees 3 and 25 are dedicated to six of those from Saskatchewan who were killed, including Private Alexander Decoteau of the Red Pheasant First Nation near Battleford. The son of Peter and Mary Decoteau, he was the first Indigenous police officer on the Edmonton police force. He was also an accomplished runner, who competed at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He was a member of the 49^th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, and was killed at the age of 29 in October, 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele. 

Sergeant Roy Edmunds:

Sergeant Roy Edmunds was employed as a clerk in Saskatoon having emigrated from Ontario with this family prior to the war. He was the only child of his parents, Thomas and Alburty Edmunds. He was a member of the 5^th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1916, he received the Distinguished Conduct Medal, at that time the British Empire’s second highest award for bravery. By his selfless actions he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers at the risk of his own. He died at the age of 24, on April 9, 1917, during the attack on Vimy Ridge—the seminal Canadian battle of the First World War. 

Behind each tree there is a face, a name, and a life story that deserves to be told.