Surrey council to consider building dedicated Fraser River ash-scattering pier

Surrey City Council is slated to formally see plans to physique a designated ash-scattering pier connected the Fraser River.

The metropolis already has an ash-scattering garden, but galore cultures presumption scattering ashes into moving h2o arsenic a important portion of laying loved ones to rest.

Jay Minhas, a founding subordinate of the Guru Nanak Food Bank, said an aquatic tract is peculiarly important for galore South Asian faiths, including for Hindus and Sikhs.

“This is the past ritual erstwhile you permission this world, to amusement respect, due to the fact that h2o is very, precise important successful South Asian civilization and tradition,” helium said.

“They privation the last ashes to beryllium portion of the h2o due to the fact that everything came from Mother Nature, it goes backmost to Mother Nature.”

Surrey metropolis unit person recommended the operation of a designated pier connected the Fraser, either astatine Brownsville Bar Park oregon astatine the Surrey Public Wharf.

The metropolis estimates the task would outgo betwixt $2.5 cardinal and $3.8 cardinal dollars.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said it was important for the metropolis to person a culturally due spot for residents to “put their ashes to remainder successful a mode that provides the benignant of dignity and respect that they truly privation to bash for their loved ones.”

“We cognize that radical are doing it anyway, but it is not safe,” she said. “The Fraser River is not forgiving.”

It’s not the archetypal clip the thought has been projected by civic leaders.

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Former politician Doug McCallum said his assembly had already flagged Brownsville Bar Park arsenic a tract aft consultation with the community.

He believes the metropolis could person had the pier approved and built already if it had been made a priority.

“We started the process of verbally getting the support from the national authorities from the harbour committee and from the provincial government, and our metropolis manager astatine the clip … got the verbal permissions for it,” helium said.

“So it has sat silent, adjacent though the assemblage has been trying to propulsion this existent assembly to get it done, it has been sitting soundless for implicit 2 years.”

Locke said the erstwhile assembly ne'er voted connected the connection and ne'er secured ceremonial support from elder levels of government.

Minhas said getting the task built volition beryllium bully for the city, but volition besides payment radical from crossed the Lower Mainland seeking a last resting spot for their loved ones.

He said nary akin installation exists successful the region, and that the pier would gully radical from surrounding municipalities.

“The assemblage is encouraging a batch of municipalities to bash this, but it has been ignored for many, galore years … truthful they person to bash this successful an amerciable way, which is not good,” helium said.

“This is simply a cleanable location.”

If the program is approved, metropolis unit volition look further into approvals and backing and instrumentality to assembly with a study successful 2025.