City of Iqaluit looking to expand Apex Cemetery
Councillors vote Tuesday to begin the expansion process
Iqaluit councillors have voted in favour of the city mocking up designs for expanding the Apex Cemetery, as the current lot nears capacity.
Their vote at Tuesday’s regular council meeting was unanimous.
The city had originally scheduled the project to be done in 2022. Councillors rejected the initial proposal, though, because they wanted to learn more about the cemetery’s capacity.
Jared Wright, project manager for Colliers Project Leaders, a consultant for the city, told city staff in February the cemetery will be filled in two years, but they could expand it to last another decade.
In response to a question from Coun. Paul Quassa, Wright said there will be a public consultation for Apex residents once the design is completed.
In a letter to the city, Wright wrote that the design will be completed this year with construction beginning in 2024.
The cemetery was built in 2013 for $1.3 million. It has had flooding issues since opening, with some families having to bury loved ones in muddy graves.
In 2021, the city raised the ground level of the cemetery and constructed a drainage system to help ease flooding.
That is sad, we buried my father there with a water pump running next to bogged out graves. Its a rock Swamp, our loved with cant even die with dignity.
They are going to have to address the pretty dire drainage issues if they plan to expand closer to the edge of the water.