city of vancouver axes mountain view cemetery memorial event after 20 years
2 minute read
the all souls at mountainview cemetery event has been cancelled for 2025.
jason payne
/
png
the city of vancouver has withdrawn its support for the annual all souls at mountain view cemetery event.
all souls, which began in 2005, gave the public a chance to “come and remember their dead in an atmosphere of contemplative beauty, whether buried at the cemetery or not,” organizers wrote on the event website.
the event was to begin at sundown on oct. 24 with prayers and a swedish fire (a vertical log that would burn throughout the evening) and close with a procession to the shrines on nov. 1. the candles at the shrines were to be kept lit until the morning of nov. 2, when the written messages and memorials would be gathered up and the names read aloud, before being burned in a closing fire.
but organizers say that this year, under the direction of the city, the cemetery decided to end its relationship with all souls and review its protocols for artist-led events.
“this ending has not been our decision,” organizers wrote. “we are sad and disappointed, specifically on behalf of the many people for whom all souls at mountain view cemetery has been a cornerstone in their personal grief journey.”
last year, the city made a point of celebrating the all souls’ 20th anniversary, stating the event at the cemetery invited people of all ages to remember their ancestors, family and friends who have died.
advertisement
in a statement sent to postmedia news on thursday, the city said the cemetery had, in 2023, launched a “review of the city’s role in supporting the all souls event, with the goal of ensuring fair access to programming and partnerships that reflects vancouver’s diverse communities.”
“rising costs also prompted a broader evaluation to help reduce financial pressures,” the statement read. “following this review, and after notifying organizers of the changes, mvc will no longer fund programming at the cemetery, including all souls, in the manner it has in previous years.”
when asked for clarification, the city said costs for the 2024 event totaled $130,000 for “staff time and site operations,” which were covered by mvc.
the city reiterated that the cemetery remains open to the public and that community members are welcome to “continue the tradition in their own way” by visiting or bringing lanterns, candles and tributes to honour their loved ones.
the statement concluded by saying the city was open to working with organizers on any self-funded or grant-funded all souls events in future.
in a post shared to her facebook page, organizer and artist marina szijarto said the hope has always been for the public to “take over the cemetery (all cemeteries), reclaiming their ancestral traditions of spending the night at the cemetery with their beloved dead, cleaning and decorating the grave”.
advertisement
“the loss of a night for all souls doesn’t mean we, the community, cannot honour our ancestors and beloved dead at this important time of year for many of us,” she wrote. “in fact … i feel it’s important to continue our honouring, so the dead don’t feel like we have forgotten them or we are ‘ghosting’ them.”
szijarto said she had plans to visit mountain view cemetery this week and to continue the tradition, inviting others to meet her there.
share story
