Dear neighbours,

Five Rivers, the owners of the Riverside Funeral Home and Crematorium in Delta, is applying to build a similar facility in a residential neighbourhood of Tynehead.

The crematorium is industrial use and the funeral home is commercial use. They do NOT belong in a residential neighbourhood.

The proposed facility will be 12 acres with 315 parking spots. The negative impact to the community will be enormous. CLICK HERE FOR BUILDING PLANS (page 12).

No one wants to live beside a crematorium and funeral home:

The proposed location is across the street from an existing residential subdivision and is surrounded by future residential developments.

Crematoriums are a health hazard:

Crematoriums emit hazardous PM10 and PM2.5 particulates, combustion gases, chemical compounds from burning plastics (e.g. clothing, caskets), heavy metals (e.g. mercury emissions from dental fillings), and radioactive particles, (e.g. deceased cancer patients who had been treated with radioactive substances). And unlike other emissions facilities, crematoriums are not required to report to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Crematoriums are loosely regulated and their environmental and health impacts are poorly studied. The proposed crematorium will be located less than 1km away from a school, which serves a community of kindergarten to Grade 12 students. 

Funeral homes cause traffic congestion and noise:

Funerals for this facility will mainly serve the IndoCanadian community where funerals tend to be extremely large and well-attended. It will result in extremely heavy traffic congestion, especially as cars wait to turn.

Crematoriums are an environmental hazard:

The proposed location is across the street from Bothwell Park, backs directly onto the salmon spawning Serpentine River, and is adjacent to the Agricultural Land Reserve. Any particulate emissions and run-off will be deposited directly into the sensitive surroundings.

The development will result in heavier flooding:

The proposed location is situated entirely in the floodplain and will require immense amounts of soil to elevate it above flood level. The filling of this site will result in heavier flooding in other areas and jeopardize public safety.

The City of Surrey requires that all development must be fully consistent with the land use plan. The proposed location is designated as residential, but the application changes the use to industrial. Obviously, this application is completely inconsistent with the land use plan.

Unsurprisingly, the Planning Department and the Engineering Department at the City of Surrey recommend that this application be denied. They have stated, “the proposed building is more appropriate in lands designated for ‘Commercial’ or ‘Industrial’ development.”

However, due to political pressure, the Mayor and Council support the application and voted unanimously for it to continue moving forward. The following are direct quotes:

“This is probably a really good place for it.” Councillor Bose

“I do not want this project to die.” Councillor Bains

“Let’s move forward.” Councillor Nagra

“I support this proposal too…hopefully it moves ahead.” Councillor Stutt

“I am absolutely happy to support [this]…I definitely agree with my colleagues.” Mayor Locke

This application is completely inconsistent with established land use and the Mayor and Council have ignored Planning Department and Engineering Department recommendations to deny the application. The application also jeopardizes the health and safety of residents and interferes with their quiet enjoyment of their homes and neighbourhood.

An obvious explanation for such blatant favouritism and disregard for City regulations is that the Mayor and Council are granting a special favour to political allies. It seems that they’re succumbing to political pressure and prioritizing the interests of a Delta-based business above residents who live in the neighbourhood and pay taxes.

To be clear, this is not a petition against crematoriums and funeral homes. This is a petition against industrial and commercial uses in a residential neighbourhood. This is a petition against applications that are inconsistent with the land use plan. The City of Surrey has a duty to protect residents from hazardous particulates, heavy metals, chemical compounds, traffic congestion, and noise. The City also has a duty to adhere to the established land use plan.

I encourage you, my neighbours, to sign this petition and ask the City of Surrey to deny approval of the crematorium and funeral home.

Sincerely,

Molly Hutchins