Interest in green burials is on the rise across Canada.
Our Kingston nonprofit group came into being, late in 2017, through the common vision that caring for our bodies at death can be done with sustainability of the Earth in mind, as reflected in the tenets set forth by the Green Burial Association.
A table at the Skeleton Park Arts Festival in June of 2018 was our first public outreach event. We were encouraged by the interest and enthusiasm of people who dropped by to find out more. This event was followed up by a community meeting held at the Mulberry Waldorf School in November, 2018.
The next public event was a Screening Room film showing and discussion on October 19, 2019, to a near-capacity audience. The film, A Will for the Woods, traces the story of Clark Wang as he prepares for his own green burial. A musician and psychiatrist, Wang is determined that his last act will be a gift to the planet.
In early November, Sue Lyon, the Lead Collaborator from Green Burial Kingston, took part in a workshop at Wintergreen Studios titled On Death and Dying, where she shared information about green burials and described the Kingston initiative.
Fast forward to late 2020, and there were well over 100 people on our mailing list and nearly a dozen people involved in our working groups. Our membership continues to grow. The working group met regularly throughout the lock downs by video conferencing, and since the lock downs have ended, we have moved to monthly in-person meetings.
Since 2020, we have established the structural, financial, and legal foundations to proceed with site prospecting or site sharing with an existing cemetery. We have also been developing community awareness and support through various events (see news/blogs for more details). We are continuing to build our membership base to demonstrate the interest and commitment for developing Green Burial options in the Kingston area. Why not join us?
Questions?
If you’d like to know more about membership, please contact membership@greenburialkingston.com.
Questions about green burials or our organization can be directed to our Lead Collaborator at leadcollaborator@greenburialkingston.com.
The Natural Burial Association has generated a list of common question and answers about green burials. Learn more here.
If you have events or news related to green burials that you would like us to publicize on our website or FaceBook page, please contact communications@greenburialkingston.com.