Ponoka County provides update on Burnbrae Cemetery

PONOKA COUNTY -- An update on the status of the Burnbrae Cemetery has been provided by Ponoka County.

According to County staff, it's been decided that stewardship of the cemetery will be taken over by the Homeglen Hall Society. This will include keeping the area maintained for the public, as work is expected to include some tree removal and mulching. An annual grant of $2,000 was awarded by County Council at its May 13, 2025 meeting for maintenance of the site.

This all comes after Ponoka County officially took possession of the 1.4-acre cemetery earlier this year, at the request of a local property owner. One of the most noted changes to the future operations of the cemetery is that it will no longer be accepting new burials. This was brought in as a temporary measure on June 13th, however, it has now been made permanent. 

Future stewardship of the cemetery was discussed with the board of the Homeglen Hall Society on July 8th. At that time, hopes to allow for new burials were still discussed, as the organization would have also been in charge of selling and pre-selling lots, as well as actual burials. At a meeting on August 12th, it was finally decided that no new burials would be permitted going forward.

It's expected that permanent signs will be erected advising that it is closed to new burials in the coming days. The County will now need to enter into a maintenance agreement with the Society, and may be required to establish a "perpetual care fund".

The first person buried at Burnbrae Cemetery was Mary Burns in the year 1918. With 42 memorials recorded as of 2024, the cemetery is noted as a strong reminder of the region's history.