The Centre for Natural Burial

By Ken Hashizume, Bayshore Broadcasting Corp

Giving people the option of going au naturel when it comes to being laid to rest.

Mike Salisbury — President and Founder of the Natural Burial Co-Operative — came to Arran-Elderslie Council yesterday and presented a plan to set up Canada’s first natural burial ground along a piece of property on Bruce Road 11 east of Paisley.

Natural burial is to be buried without being embalmed and with little material in burial process.

Salisbury says the easiest way of describing natural burial is to think of your funeral as a conservation tool.

He says the proposed site has an excellent opportunity to be contiguous for natural habitat and natural environment along the Saugeen River.

Salisbury says an Official Plan Amendment is required to change the zoning from agricultural to a designation allowing for the proposed use.

He says a cemetery license needs to be acquired and some capital to purchase the land.

He says they will work with the Health Unit on determining the effects of natural burial during the winter months.

Natural Burial has been going on for several years in other places.

Salisbury says the United Kingdom began natural burials 10 years ago and it now accounts for 15 to 20 per cent of all burials in the Country.

He says five years ago there was one natural burial site in the United States now there is 10 with 5 more in the planning stages.

Salisbury says the idea of natural burial has been featured in newspapers and television and radio programs all over the world.