Gates to the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery remain closed

The recent ice storm caused significant damage to hundreds of trees making the cemetery too dangerous for the public according to officials.

After briefly opening to the public at the end of March, the gates to the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery are closed once again with no clear sign of reopening due to an ongoing labour dispute.

A recent devastating ice storm caused significant damage to hundreds of trees, making the cemetery too dangerous for the public, according to cemetery officials.

“Despite our work to repair the damages and clean the site, many of the cemetery’s 33 kilometres of roads are still blocked by trees and branches that present a significant danger to visitor,” said Daniel Granger spokesperson for the cemetery.

“In addition, several branches, broken by the ice, threaten to fall at any time, posing additional risks to visitors. We are truly saddened by this situation.”

While the ice storm was, April 6, two weeks ago, efforts to clean the site are not possible due to the ongoing labour dispute.

Maintenance workers have been on strike since January. In that time, no ground burials have taken place. Only mausoleum burials and cremations have continued.

“If we went back tomorrow, it would take at least a month with full staff working outside to clear all the roads, cut down the branches, and get the graves ready for all of the deceased that are in the freezer right now,” said Caroline Dube, spokesperson for the workers union.

Dube estimates close to 200 dead are waiting to be buried.