The Town of Gravenhurst has agreed to move forward with the process of acquiring St. George Anglican Church and the cemetery.
During the July 21 committee of the whole meeting, Andrew Stacey, director of infrastructure services, presented a report stating that the Diocese of Toronto of the Anglican Church of Canada has asked the town to take ownership of the church building and cemetery at 1816 Cooper’s Falls Road.
In the report, the Diocese states that it is no longer able to manage the risks and liabilities associated with the property.
According to the report, the church, which held its first service on October 26, 1884, was closed and deconsecrated in 2009. The cemetery, which shares the lands with the St. George Anglican Church, remains active, with the earliest recorded internment dating back to 1889 and the most recent occurring in 2024.
“Despite the Diocese of Toronto being the largest diocese in the Anglican Church of Canada, its mandate does not include the ongoing operation of cemeteries associated with former Anglican churches that have closed, as is the case of the St. George property,” states the report.
Town staff said the cemetery lands are approximately one acre in size with 350 plots on record. Of these, an estimated 40 to 50 plots remain available for purchase through a third-party monument company.
Currently, the report states the Diocese remains responsible for all risks and liabilities associated with the property, while third-party service providers maintain the cemetery grounds. The report adds the Cemetery Board, consisting of three trustees, is responsible for maintaining historical documents and tracking burials.
Stacey said the Town currently operates and maintains 13 cemeteries, with the average annual operating budget required to maintain these assets totaling approximately $220,950 over the past three years.
He said acquiring St. George Anglican Church and the cemetery would result in ongoing general maintenance costs, including grass cutting and tree work, estimated at approximately $25,000 annually.
After a lengthy discussion, committee approved moving forward with the process of acquiring the church and cemetery and directed staff to review the property and provide guidance on matters including the status of care and maintenance funds, plot surveys, land parcel boundaries, facility condition reports, and any other relevant considerations.
Staff also said that the Bereavement Authority of Ontario would be consulted before the land transfer takes place to address the transfer of the cemetery operator licence and any related regulatory requirements.
The report states that, once acquired, the Town will consider whether the cemetery should be declared inactive to reduce ongoing operational and burial-related costs or review existing third-party service arrangements.
