Our green initiatives | Le repos Saint-François d'Assise

Biodegradable bags for cremation urns

Environmental stewardship is a central concern for us, which is why we switched to biodegradable bags for cremation urns buried in the cemetery on May 1, 2023.

Electric vehicles

We have acquired a fleet of electric vehicles to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Our electric vehicles are regularly used for bereaved families coming to bury their deceased loved one’s ashes. Our operational team also has electric buggies for getting around the grounds.

We plan to keep on adding to our fleet of electric vehicles in pursuit of our sustainability objectives.

EV charging stations

Electric vehicles mean EV charging stations. So, we’ve installed a few EV charging stations for employee and customer use.

More EV charging stations will be set up in the coming years.

Tree planting

Our cemetery is a green space covering many hectares and has an abundance of trees. Protecting that green space is of vital importance. For that reason, we plant 100 trees every year and will continue to do so in the years to come.

Pesticides and herbicides

Pesticides or herbicides have not been used in the cemetery since 2018.

Other green initiatives

Recovery of materials onsite (stone, asphalt and soil), significantly reducing the need for trucking
Waste snow disposal site on the cemetery grounds
A number of water retention ponds
Establishment of a special eco-section for biodegradable urns only
Branch chipping and waste recovery
Establishment of beehives in the cemetery
Integrated lighting system for remote control of operating hours and changeover from incandescent lighting to LEDs
A white membrane incorporated into all new-built and rebuilt roofs to reduce heat island effects
Construction of a green parking lot with permeable pavement
Digital solutions to reduce paper use
Spring flowers and reduced field mowing
Two new, state-of-the-art crematories meeting the latest standards of Ministère de l’Environnement, de la lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs at the Ville-Marie Crematorium, which started operations on December 12, 2023 (These new, high-performance crematories significantly reduce GHG emissions and fossil fuel consumption.)
Startup of waste management program
GHG emissions audit beginning in January 2024, with audit results to be used to take action on reducing GHG emissions
The woods: a soon-to-be-ready area of the grounds that will be left to develop in a natural state with naturally occurring plants and used for natural burials

This section will be updated as our sustainability plan is implemented.