CEMETERY INFORMATION

McDONALD MEMORIAL CEMETERY

Licence #3280887

Location

The cemetery is located at 406 Broadway Street. It is approximately one-half mile from the St. Clair River on Lambton County # 1 (Lambton Line) just east of the Village of Port Lambton. It is open year round and has grave sites available to all.


Contact Information

For further information please contact:
George or Bev Bradley: 519-677-4445
Blake Davis: 519-677-5336


Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO)-A Guide to Death Care in Ontario

One can access the BAO’s Consumer Information Guide: A Guide to Death Care in Ontario from the Bereavement Authority of Ontario's website at www.thebao.ca. This guide is free of charge in print or digitally online to support informed choices related to prearranging and arranging a funeral, burial or cremation service.



Fees

The fee list can be downloaded for printing as a word document or a pdf file by clicking the required file below:

Fee list as a Microsoft Word file.

Fee list as an Adobe acrobat pdf file.

Current Prices as of January 1, 2021 (subject to change)

Sale of Interment Rights

1 Grave (approx. 40 sq. ft.) ($660) and Care & Maintenance Fee ($440):
$ 1100.00

Interments - Full Burial

Open & Close Grave:
$1000.00
Additional fee for burial in over-size casket:
$350.00
Additional fee for funerals reaching the cemetery after 4:00 p.m.:
$350.00
Additional fee for weekend/holiday burials:
$350.00

Interments - Cremation

Open & Close Grave (overall outside dimensions of container including handles, etc.)
Up to 10” x 10”:
$400.00
Over 10” x 10” and up to 16” x 16”:
$500.00
Over 16” x 16”:
$1000.00

Markers

Marking for Marker placement:
$150.00
Marker Care & Maintenance Fee (according to size):
$50.00 - $200.00

Administrative Fees

Transfer/Resale of Interment Rights:
$100.00
Transfer Interment Rights (transfer by will):
$50.00
Reissue/Replace Interment Rights Certificate:
$10.00
Copy of By-Laws:
$5.00
Returned Cheque:
$25.00

Burial in Veterans’ Plot

Interment Right:
$0.00
Excavation Fee:
Applicable fee as listed above


History

Prior to 1918 the front portion of the cemetery was used to inter members and friends of the McDonald family. With the passing of Mr. John Duncan McDonald on the thirteenth of November, 1918, approximately seven acres of land described as:

"All and singular that certain parcel or tract of land and premises situate, lying and being in the Township of Sombra, in the County of Lambton and Province of Ontario and being composed of Part of Lot "E" in the Seventh Concession of the said Township of Sombra, described as follows: Commencing at the South East corner of said Lot "E", thence West four chains, thence North sixteen chains and six links, thence East four chains, thence South sixteen chains and six links to the place of beginning and containing six and one-half acres for Cemetery purposes reserving all Lots sold or occupied and also reserving sufficient ground therein for myself and my family, referring to the family of the said John Duncan McDonald."

This was deeded by will to Port Lambton Methodist Church for use as a cemetery. In 1925, with the creation of the United Church of Canada (by the union of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational Churches), the cemetery became the responsibility of Port Lambton United Church.

The Cemetery has a Board of Trustees as well as a Secretary and Treasurer and has operated under this structure since 1929. The cemetery minutes read much like a log of the local families containing the names of many well known residents of this area of Sombra Township. A tour of the cemetery and reading of the headstones provides a glimpse back into history of many families no longer in this area as well as many present families.

The cemetery is run as a non-denominational cemetery and accepts people of all faiths as well as no faith. Many of the old traditions are still practiced unless requested otherwise by the family. The husband is usually buried to the right (South) of his wife (to defend his mate in time of trouble by freeing his right arm) and all heads are placed in the West end of the grave (when Christ returns he is to come from the East so the spiritual body will rise facing Him).

Currently three and one-half acres are being used for burials and this area will suffice for some time into the future. Four acres at the rear are leased yearly to a local farmer for crops.


BY-LAWS AND REGULATIONS
FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF
THE McDONALD MEMORIAL CEMETERY
406 BROADWAY STREET
PORT LAMBTON, ONTARIO




Approved by Board of Trustees

April 23, 2018

Approved by Registrar,
Bereavement Authority of Ontario
Registrar, Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA), Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO)

May 31, 2018

The McDonald Memorial Cemetery By-law is available as a word document or a pdf file by clicking the required file below:

Cemetery by-law as a Microsoft Word file.

Cemetery by-law as an Adobe acrobat pdf file.