Loading, about as long as a coffee at the Lion’s Head.
Loading, about as long as a coffee at the Lion’s Head.
Park Memorial Cemetery, and everything else Castlegar families need if a loved one is near the end of life, or has just passed.
If someone you love has just died
In BC, the funeral home you choose handles most of the paperwork, including death registration, the disposition permit, and initial death certificates. Your first call is to a funeral home, not City Hall.
This page is the full picture of what Castlegar can do for your family: cemetery options, grief support, hospice, and the practical paperwork. Take what you need, when you need it.
First calls
When someone dies, the sequence is predictable even when the feelings are not. Here is what typically happens in BC, in order.
Step 1
A physician, nurse practitioner, or the BC Coroner Service completes the Medical Certification of Death and forwards it to your chosen funeral director, usually within 48 hours.
Step 2
The funeral home handles transfer, registration with BC Vital Statistics, the disposition permit, and issues the first death certificates. Castlegar Funeral Chapel is the local option (250-365-3222).
Step 3
Choose burial or cremation, service format, and (if applicable) the cemetery plot. Your funeral home coordinates with the City on Park Memorial arrangements.
Step 4
Death certificates are needed for banks, insurance, pensions, CPP/OAS survivor benefits, and probate. Order extras up front; you will need more than you expect.
Castlegar's Park Memorial Cemetery is at 2311 14th Avenue, just off Highway 3. It's operated by the City of Castlegar under Bylaw 571 (Cemetery). The grounds are open during daylight hours for visiting; interments are coordinated through City staff.
Park Memorial offers four main types of interment:
Opening and closing fees, and applicable taxes, are separate. Non-residents pay 50% more across all categories.
| Option | Resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Standard burial plot | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Double-deep burial plot | $1,500 | $2,250 |
| Columbarium niche | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| In-ground cremated remains | $400 | $600 |
| Ossuary, public | $300 | $450 |
| Ossuary, veteran | $150 | $225 |
Confirm current pricing and the full fee schedule with City Hall before making arrangements; Bylaw 571 is the authoritative source.
Interments are generally scheduled Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (excluding statutory holidays). Weekend and holiday interments are possible subject to staff availability and an additional fee. Your funeral home will coordinate the scheduling with the City.
Marker specifications, plaque sizes, and decoration rules are set under Bylaw 571 (Cemetery). Your funeral home or monument supplier will work within those rules. Installation fees for markers and plaques are separate from the interment fee.
Tip
Pre-arrangement is a kindness
Grief is its own kind of work. Castlegar has a strong hospice and counselling network ready to walk alongside you, before, during, and after a death.
The Castlegar Hospice Society is a charitable organization that provides no-cost spiritual, emotional, and practical support to people facing a life-threatening illness and their families. Trained volunteers are matched with clients for companionship, respite, and end-of-life support.
Several registered clinical counsellors in Castlegar and the greater Kootenays specialize in grief, loss, and life transitions. Good starting points include:
Grief can come with moments that are harder than the rest. If you are thinking about harming yourself, please reach out:
The local funeral home handles the heavy lifting of death registration, transport, service planning, and cemetery coordination.
In BC, the funeral director is authorized by the province to register the death and issue the death certificate and disposition permit, the first two steps below are handled for you. Everything after is the executor’s work, often spread over several weeks.
Good to know
Service Canada benefits
Park Memorial Cemetery maintains a dedicated ossuary reserved for veterans, with reduced-fee cremated remains interment. Families of veterans should also contact:
A death can strain a family's finances at the worst possible time. Options for families of modest means:
Park Memorial is a quiet place and a working landscape; staff maintain grounds during business hours. When you visit:
Castlegar Hospice Society
Free bereavement and grief support, trained volunteers.
Castlegar Funeral Chapel
411 9th Avenue. 250-365-3222. Full services and pre-arrangements.
BC Vital Statistics, Death
Death registration, certificates, and estate paperwork.
Veterans Affairs Funeral & Burial Program
May cover funeral and burial costs for eligible veterans.
Bylaw 571 (Cemetery)
The City's governing cemetery bylaw.
Email cemetery@castlegar.ca
Direct to the City's cemetery inbox.
Still need help?
Faster than calling for non-urgent issues. We respond within one business day.
Cemetery information verified against the City of Castlegar cemetery page and Bylaw 571. Bereavement-service details verified against Castlegar Hospice Society, BC Vital Statistics, Service Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada. Fees and program details may change; confirm with each provider before relying on them.