Memorial Trees

After reading in the Guelph Mercury on Wed. Feb. 22, 2012, that the Operations and Transit Committee, is recommending to City Council, the removal of memorial plaques after 10 years, I am not only disappointed but completely disgusted at the recommendation.

After learning about the program last fall, I became interested in purchasing a tree and memorial plaque to honour the life of my late wife, however the fall planting season was over by that time. I had planned to apply in March this year, but am so outraged at the proposed recommendation, that I am unlikely to proceed, if council approves it.

For a city that is endevouring to increase its tree canopy, making a decision which may well stiffle, if not terminate, interest in planting additional memorial trees, is completely unfathomable. The city will lose not only the opportunity for a tree but the financial contribution as well.

The increase in interest from 2008 thru to 2011, demonstrates an increasing interest in the program as currently structured. One cannot predict how the level of interest in the program might change with a 10 year limit on the plaques, but why tinker with a program that is obviously successful? The volume of plaques is so small that I had to walk around Royal City Park to find any, but finally located two. With only 120 citywide, the chances of any one location starting to look like a cemetary, appear to be quite remote.

Grandfathering the existing plaques, as suggested, would only serve to discriminate against those who choose to purchase a tree and plaque in the future. I would think that potential purchasers will find that unacceptable.

When a person chooses to honour a loved one through the purchase of a memorial, in what ever form, it is not done with a time limit in mind. It is a committment to that person without qualification. Accordingly there should be no arbitrary time limit applied that interfers with that committment to the deceased. We don’t remove cemetary headstones and grave markers after10 years. They are there in perpetuity. Why should a memorial plaque be treated any different?

Once a plaque is purchased and in place, the city does not incur any ongoing cost, so there is no justification for removing the plaque after 10 years.

If the city wishes to have a policy, I suggest the following.

o The city agrees to replace any plaque damaged after a 5-year period from the date of installation. If, after being advised of a damaged plaque following the 5-year period, the family member whose name is on file, does not arrange within 6 months, to replace the damaged plaque, it will be removed by the city.

When the recommendation comes to council for a vote, I ask that each of you take the time to consider how you would feel if you had purchased a memorial tree and plaque for a beloved family member 10 years previously, and were about to learn that the plaque honouring that person was going to be dug up and tossed in the garbage. I trust that you would be horrified, just as I would be. That would not be a dignified way to treat the memory of a person who chose to call Guelph, home.

I plead with each of you, to vote against the committee’s recommendation. Leave the perfectly-good program as it is. The city gains trees and money. Kindly do not overlook that. BW