Some Island cemeteries are running out of room for graves. Here's how they're coping.

Many cemeteries on Prince Edward Island are dealing with a shortage of space, and that could be part of the reason why more people are choosing above-ground burial options.

John Abbott, the administrator at the Sherwood Cemetery in Charlottetown, said some of the fields there were completely empty a few years ago. Now, the site could be at capacity in another 10 years if they don't find more space for new graves.

"It's getting worse every year," he said. "We're limited to what we have. We've probably got in the vicinity of 600 plots left to go and that will tie us up pretty well.

"So we're looking for land and we're looking to expand."

John Abbott, the administrator of the Sherwood Cemetery in Charlottetown, says the cemetery may be completely full in another 10 years unless they can acquire more land. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)

Michael Brazil is the caretaker for a number of cemeteries around Charlottetown, including the Roman Catholic one on St. Peter's Road.

He said he is always looking for better ways to use the limited space, given that he doesn't expect the challenge to go away any time soon.

"I think it's going to become more of an issue, of course, in the future," he said. "Not every cemetery has the room to grow."

Brazil said the increasing number of cremations on P.E.I. has been extending the life of current cemetery sites. Many families choose to place the cremated remains in above-ground structures called columbaria (the singular form is columbarium), rather than opting for a traditional coffin burial.

Many families are now choosing to place urns holding cremation remains in niches or compartments of above-ground structures called columbaria. The grey structures in this photo are an example. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)

"If there was still a lot of traditional burials, space would be a major issue. But the way things are trending now, cremation has become a very popular choice for families and has given the cemetery and the families a lot more options," Brazil said.

"Therefore, the cemetery is able to continue on for decades down the road."

Cost an issue as well

The caretaker has seen a growth in the frequency of cremations at the cemeteries he's connected with, from about a dozen or so a year in the early 2000s to number in the hundreds now.

Brazil pointed out that traditional in-ground burials can cost almost double what a cremation goes for, and that could be another reason people are choosing above-ground options.

'I think it's going to become more of an issue... in the future,' says Michael Brazil, shown with two columbaria behind him. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)

"It's kind of reverting back to a hundred years ago, where a family bought one monument," he said. "They're putting multiple names on it and they're buying one plot and they're putting multiple cremation urns in that plot."

Abbott also says he has seen the number of cremations grow exponentially during his eight years on the job. He also thinks its linked to cremations being more affordable.

"I think you're going to see more cremation burials and I think you are going to see more above ground," he said. "And I think you are going to see more columbaria in the cemeteries."

Less of an issue in rural P.E.I.

Nathaniel Lamoureux, who chairs the P.E.I. Funeral Services and Professions Board, owns Dingwell Funeral Home in Souris.

He agrees that cemeteries in more urban areas like Charlottetown are dealing with space issues that can drive up the price of plots — if they're available at all.

"When space becomes limited, you're limiting families' options as to disposition," he said. "They may not want to be cremated, but if they want to rest in that cemetery, it could be the only option in the future."

Nathaniel Lamoureux, who chairs the P.E.I. Funeral Services and Professions Board, says rural cemeteries aren't under the same kind of space pressures. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)

Lamoureux says cemeteries in rural regions, like the ones near his funeral home in eastern P.E.I., don't have the same space issues.

"A lot of the cemeteries here are surrounded by farmland, so if we needed to expand, I'm sure that's not going to be a problem," he said. "I don't think it's going to be an issue that I am going to have to face in my career, but perhaps in the generations to come, for sure."

Coastal erosion could be more of an immediate threat for some cemeteries in rural P.E.I. that are close to the water, Lamoureux said. Having to relocate caskets from years gone by will be a massive process requiring approval from government and families alike.

At the end of the day, he said, regardless of the burial method, many people just want to know their loved one is in good hands. Lamoureux said funeral directors will do their best to meet the needs of people no matter what challenges lie ahead.