The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo maintains and operates cemeteries in communities throughout the region.
There are three urban cemeteries in Fort McMurray. This includes Pioneer Cemetery downtown, Highview Cemetery in Abasand, and Woodlawn Cemetery in the Wood Buffalo neighbourhood. The Public Works department provides all-season maintenance for all three, including turf and roadway maintenance, horticulture services and landscaping restorations. The Municipality also maintains cemeteries in Anzac and Conklin. The new Fort Chipewyan Cemetery, which will be operated and maintained by the RMWB, is in the process of obtaining official approval from the Government of Alberta and is expected to open in 2023.
We encourage you to visit the region’s cemeteries throughout the seasons, not only to remember a loved one but to enjoy the cemeteries' natural beauty and the history they contain.
| Contact information and hours of operation |
| The cemeteries are open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Municipal staff are available to help with inquiries from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
If you have a question about Wood Buffalo’s municipally operated cemeteries, wish to arrange a burial or plot reservation, or need more information, please contact Pulse at 780-743-7000 or 1-800-973-9663. The Municipality does do not arrange funerals or headstones. Please contact the private sector for this service. |
Urban Cemeteries
Woodlawn Cemetery (1000 Real Martin Dr.)
Woodlawn Cemetery was established in 2017 along the Wood Buffalo perimeter trail in Thickwood. It is the newest of Fort McMurray’s three urban cemeteries and offers interment services of many kinds. It features open greenspace, a walking trail and a pond.
| Interment options and services at Woodlawn |
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Highview Cemetery (589 Athabasca Ave.)
Highview Cemetery was established in 1980 in the neighbourhood of Abasand, featuring beautiful landscaping and located next to Simons & Lucas Playground. Although it is expected to be at capacity in the near future, as of 2022 it still offers in-ground burials and columbarium niches.
| Interment options and services at Highview |
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Pioneer Cemetery (91 Biggs Ave.)
Tucked away on Biggs Avenue near the intersection with Nixon Street, Pioneer Cemetery (formerly Fort McMurray Cemetery) is the oldest cemetery in Fort McMurray.
This history-rich graveyard existed prior to the first government survey of Fort McMurray in 1910. The town of Fort McMurray managed the public (west) cemetery since the early 1940s, while the Catholic church managed the Catholic (east) portion until approximately 1970, when the two sections were combined under municipal management.
Tragically, vital gravesite records were lost in the devastating fire at John the Baptist Catholic Church on February 19, 1939. The memorial erected in the center of Pioneer Cemetery honours those buried in the cemetery whose records were lost during the fire. The names of those who are known are inscribed on the memorial, a steel replica of the church’s wooden steeple. The church was a landmark in the community and stood at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Hardin Street until its destruction in the 1939 fire.
This cemetery features a columbarium which still has niches for purchase, however, no in-ground plots are available for interment (except for reserved plots).
| Interment options and services at Pioneer |
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Rural Cemetaries
Anzac Cemetery (200 Cheecham Dr.)
Found on Cheecham Drive, Anzac Cemetery dates back to at least the 1980s and is currently in use. It has been maintained and operated by the Municipality since 2002.
| Interment options and services at Anzac Cemetery |
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Conklin: St. Vincent Cemetery
Dating back to at least the 1950s, St. Vincent Cemetery was administered by the Catholic Church (St. Vincent Mission). The cemetery was expanded in approximately 2012, and the expansion is administered by the Municipality.
Directions: Take Christina Lake Drive, heading towards Christina Lake from Conklin Multiplex, and turn left on cemetery access road.
| Interment options and services at St. Vincent Cemetery |
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Fort Chipewyan Cemetery
The new Fort Chipewyan Cemetery is not yet open and is in the process of obtaining official approval from the Government of Alberta. The RMWB does not maintain or operate any other cemeteries in Fort Chipewyan.
Directions: 1.4 km north of Henry Drive.
Fort McKay, Janvier and Fort Fitzgerald
The Municipality does not maintain or operate any cemeteries in the communities of Fort McKay, Janvier or Fort Fitzgerald.
For more information about cemeteries in the rural communities of Wood Buffalo, please contact Pulse at 780-743-7000 or 1-800-973-9663.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What are the rules around installing monuments, tombstones, and markers? |
| Installation of monuments is allowed Monday — Friday between 8:00 — 3:00 p.m. Installations must be approved and scheduled by calling Pulse at 780-743-7000.
Placement of a monument on a grave is not mandatory and is at the discretion of the legal plot/niche owner. The plot/niche owner is responsible for the proper condition and replacement of a monument. |
| What about damages, vandalism and repairs? |
| The RMWB repairs and replaces existing monument foundations if there are maintenance and safety concerns as determined by cemetery staff. Repairs and replacements are done at no charge to the plot owner. If a damaged monument poses a safety hazard or concern, the Municipality may remove it without notice.
The RMWB assumes no liability or responsibility for loss or damage to any monument through acts of vandalism, natural erosion, or damage caused by third-party service providers. |
| I want to leave a memorial/floral tributes/adornments. What do I need to know? |
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There is no flower planting program offered at RMWB-maintained cemeteries at this time. The Municipality does offer a memorial bench and tree program. Families are responsible for maintaining the appearance of artificial silk flower arrangements. Cemetery staff, without prior notice, will remove silk flower arrangements that are not adequately maintained. Live flowers placed on a plot at the time of interment will be allowed to remain there until their removal is required for maintenance operations, depending on conditions. Items made of glass or ceramic are not allowed as they can create a significant safety hazard for visitors and staff. Any items in cemetery grounds made of these materials will be removed and disposed of without notice. Items of significant sentimental or monetary value should not be left on a plot/niche or affixed to the monument or placed in a vase. Cemeteries are public spaces and there is no security or guarantee that the items will not be removed by others. The RMWB assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to tributes placed on plots or monuments and assumes no responsibility for their care. |
Cemetery Fees
Please see the pricing chart below for cemetery fees. For further details, please call Pulse at 780-743-7000 or 1-800-973-9663.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
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Opening and Closing - Adult Full Size Standard Plot |
$1,593.40 |
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Opening and Closing - Child Burial (16 years and under) |
$864.00 |
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Opening and Closing - Ash Burial |
$565.00 |
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Columbarium Niche |
$1,100.00 |
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Columbarium Plaque Installation |
$60.00 |
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Cemetery and Columbarium - Niche Inurnment |
$140.00 |
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Cemetery and Columbarium - Disinterment |
$1,593.00 |
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Scatter Garden (Woodlawn Cemetery) |
$150.00 |
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Memorial Wall (Woodlawn Cemetery) |
$250.00 |
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Community Ossuary Entombment (Woodlawn Cemetery) |
$150.00 |
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Right of Interment (Plot Fee) - Adult Lot Sale |
$500.00 |
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Right of Interment (Plot Fee) - Child Lot Sale |
$400.00 |
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Right of Interment (Plot Fee) - Cremation Lot Sale |
$400.00 |
| Canopy and Chair Rentals | $150.00 |
| Grave Liner Base | $280.50 |
| Grave Liner Top - Standard | $280.50 |
| Grave Liner - Oversized Top | $286.00 |
| Grave Liner Urn (Small/Large) | $130.00 |
| Winter Opening/Closing Premium | $250.00 |
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Governing rules and legislation for cemeteries |
| In order to promote the safe, enjoyable, and reasonable use of cemeteries and to protect and preserve natural ecosystems for the benefit of all citizens of the region, visitor conduct and activities are subject to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s Bylaw 84.26.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the legislation that governs cemeteries in Alberta:
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