- BY JENNIFER ARGUE, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
January 13th, 2022
Cheryl Chutskoff was upset as she shared a video on December 31st on the Town of Nokomis’ Facebook page. The footage showed Chutskoff’s view as she walked through the snowy Nokomis cemetery; her family had just laid her father, John (Jack) Turner, to rest on December 29th. However, when she and her sister Kari arrived at the plot two days later, on the 31st, they found the plot covered not with soil but with plywood, two buckets filled with frozen dirt and a shovel also frozen into it.
To Cheryl, her dad was like her best friend. The discovery was made even more difficult because her dad would’ve turned 78 the next day, and eight years before, she buried her 16-year-old son in the same cemetery. What really worried the sisters was how the discovery would affect their mother, Sylvia, who had just lost her much-loved husband of 56 years.
After several attempts to contact Town leadership, they found a Town Councillor who said he would get in touch with the Administrator. Because topsoil wasn’t readily available, Cheryl and Kari found someone who had crusher dust, and they filled in the grave ¾ full, returning a couple of days later to finish covering it with topsoil so the grass would grow.
Cheryl’s Facebook post drew an immediate response from the Town, who apologized and explained what happened. “I want to explain that the Town does not cover the cremains, we only open them. It’s figured out between the funeral home and the family to fill.” The Town said the funeral director makes arrangements, and no disrespect was intended towards her father or family. Cheryl replied that she had just spoken with the funeral home, who said whoever dug the hole was responsible for filling it. Cheryl then posted that the Town’s bylaw states the Town is responsible. After some back and forth, the Town deleted the entire post.
Mrs. Turner said she just wants someone to take responsibility, and Cheryl says they feel like they are being blamed for the mishap.
The Town’s bylaw to Provide, Regulate and Control a Public Cemetery 18(a) says in part, “..The price of a cremains lot shall be $100.00 each, which includes opening and closing the cremains lot by town employees..”
However, Bylaw 14 also says, “Individuals or Firms providing services of opening and closing graves and placement of Place marker/headstones or other similar work must be registered with the Municipality before proceeding with work.”
Tanya Zdunich is the Town’s Administrator. She said she could understand why the family would be upset. She said when she learned what happened, she contacted the Town’s foreman to have it covered. “Up to this time, I thought it was covered through the funeral home.” She spoke with a family member. “I explained there must have been a miscommunication somewhere between the funeral home and the Town, as this has never happened before. I apologized on behalf of myself and the Town, as I agreed it would be very upsetting.”
When contacted, the funeral home told Zdunich that nine times out of ten times they close the cremains when the service is over. “We have had 13 burials in 2022 and the Town has not closed any of them,” said Zdunich.
Zdunich said the funeral home said they didn’t close it this time because the family had told them the Town would be handling it. “Had I known that the funeral home was assuming we were closing from that conversation with the family, then we would have closed it in a minute.” She said the Town’s bylaw stated they open and close cremains plots and weren’t blaming the funeral home as they both had different understandings. “It is an unfortunate situation that I hope is never repeated.”
Al Mosewich is from Fotheringham’s Funeral Home in Watrous, which was responsible for the arrangements. He said he didn’t have permission to speak on this from the family but didn’t disagree with the Town’s statement. Mosewich said they almost always close in the grave and wouldn’t change things. “I don’t think we’d be changing our process because we have been around a long time. We are in a situation where we are taking instructions from a family. Sometimes it’s the family that’s misunderstanding who is doing what.”
None of the family members LMT spoke with said they discussed with the funeral home who would be filling in the plot; they did tell them that the Town would be opening it. When Kari spoke with Mosewich, she said he agreed they were responsible because they provided the service. Kari said he told her that they keep the dirt with them when they dig the hole so it doesn’t freeze and can be filled in after the service. She said he also told her they tried to fill it in, but the dirt was frozen in the buckets, and they didn’t follow up with the Town afterwards.
When we reached Mosewich the second time, he said, “Ultimately it is our responsibility, there was miscommunication and I wouldn’t blame the family for that.”
Nokomis Mayor David Mark called the situation “unfortunate” and acknowledged there were consequences that resulted. He said the Town would be looking at amending its procedures and bylaw. “A family is grieving; the Town extends their condolences to the Family and will make sure this specific situation doesn’t arise again.”
Zdunich said they have learned from the experience, “The funeral home isn’t going to take for granted that we are going to fill it in next time and I (am not) going to take for granted that they’re going to fill it in without having a conversation.”
In Saskatchewan, the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority (FCAA) oversees the Cemeteries Act. They gave the following information; “The party that is in charge of opening and closing a grave is dependent on who has been contracted by the buyer to provide this service.
Under The Cemeteries Act, 1999, “the opening and closing of a grave are defined as cemetery services. Cemetery Services are services for which a buyer can enter into a contract to receive. The party that the buyer has contracted with for the cemetery service of opening and closing a grave would be responsible for this service. A buyer is often able to contract with the owner of a cemetery for this service. A cemetery service is distinct from an interment right which is simply the right to use a lot for the purpose of the interment of human remains though both can be provided by the same party.”
Under The Funeral and Cremation Services Act, 1999, “a buyer is able to enter into a contract for funeral services, crematorium services or transfer services with a licensee which can include funeral directors, embalmers, funeral homes, crematoriums or transfer services. A buyer may contract for the funeral services they wish to receive. If a buyer has entered into a contract for funeral services which included the opening and closing of a grave, the party that the buyer has contracted with for this service would be responsible for the opening and closing of a specified grave.”
The Funeral and Cremations Services Council of Saskatchewan (FCSCS) regulates funeral directors, embalmers, salespersons, funeral homes, crematoriums and transfer services in Saskatchewan.
