Your cemeteries are among the best kept in the Province and we get a lot of compliments on the beautifully kept grounds from visitors worldwide.
Though the City started none of its cemeteries, it has slowly come into stewardship of all of the cemeteries located within the City limits.
- The Protestant and Chinese sections of St. Patrick's Cemetery came under municipal control in 1899 when the land was transferred from the coal company to the Town of Lethbridge.
- The Catholic section was transferred from the Diocese to the City in 1953.
- In 1942 the City purchased the Anglican Cemetery, which it had supervised since the 1920's.
- Archmount was seized in the late 1970's because of financial mismanagement and the Province transferred ownership to the City in 1982.
Your Loved Ones
At the end of 2011 close to 33,000 friends and family are resting at peace in city cemeteries.
- 4,298 in Archmount
- 26,599 in Mountain View
- 2,203 in St. Patrick's
Your Cemetery Staff
Five full time staff look after the cemeteries, one manager, one administrative clerk and three grounds crew with the assistance of one part time grounds person year round and up to eight part time grounds crew to help out in the summer with mowing and watering.
Trees & Benches
We have a tree replacement program in place to identify trees nearing the end of their lifespan and replace them before they can become a danger to people or headstones (several older trees in Mountain View were lost due to breakage because of the high winds experienced in 2011).
2012 Tree Program
St. Patrick's Cemetery - more Oak trees will be added as well as three different species of Maple, some Cherry and some Plum trees.
Archmount Cemetery - maturing Poplar trees will be replaced and Willow trees will be introduced.
Number & Types of Trees (these are approximate counts):
Mountain View Cemetery - 1300 the most common are Spruce (500), Elm (300) & Ash (200). The remainder of the inventory is made up of various other types of trees & shrubs.
St. Patrick's Cemetery - 161 mostly deciduous (127 elm, poplar and newly planted oak plus 34 coniferous, mostly spruce)
Archmount - 507 mostly deciduous (254 poplar, elm and some ash plus 247 coniferous, mostly spruce)
Some of our trees have been donated in memory of loved ones as well as the memorial benches you will notice placed at the ends of rows or between trees in various locations throughout the cemetery. You will also notice larger Memorial Monuments throughout the grounds, these have been donated by the agencies they depict.
Donations List:
8 Memorial Monuments
1 Plaque
23 Trees/Shrubs
50 Memorial Benches
Are you interested in donating a tree or a bench for placement in any of our cemeteries?
Go to Gifting Program to find out how.
Cemetery Statistics
Keeping statistical data for your cemeteries is a very important part of the job we do as these figures tell their own story.
In 2011
- 1,089 individuals visited our office
- 1,415 phone calls were answered
- 119 website inquiries were replied to
Plot Sales and Interments
Cemetery Stats 2007 to 2011
These statistics help us plan for the type and number of burial space that is likely to be needed in the future.