The Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal announces that Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery will soon be open to the families of the deceased. The arrival of spring, the evolution of the weather and the melting of the snow will determine when the entire site and the 33 kilometers of roads that run through it will be safe to receive the family members of the deceased. Once these conditions are met, the Cemetery's opening hours will be made public.

If weather conditions deteriorate, access to the cemetery may be temporarily restricted again to bereaved families. Priority will continue to be given to those families who take appointment to have a mausoleum burial or cremation service. However, no field burials will be possible as long as the operating employees continue their strike. 

The Cemetery has been seeking, since the beginning of negotiations with the unions representing its operational and clerical employees, to reach agreements to treat its employees well while ensuring the continuity of the Cemetery for the benefit of the families of the deceased who rest in peace there.

A reasonable agreement must be based on the reality that the Fabrique Notre-Dame is a non-profit organization and that 100% of the employees' compensation is paid by the families of the deceased. 

During 2021, regular operations and maintenance employees received approximately $70,000 per year in salary, to mow grass, clear snow from roads in winter, clean mausoleums, perform burials and cremations, and do other related activities. 

They also receive up to 11 weeks of paid vacation and vacations per year and up to $14,000 per year in their defined benefit pension plan.

This compensation represents $45 per hour and is higher than the wages and benefits paid to many employees in the health, education, and public safety sectors. 

In January 2023, the Cemetery submitted an offer to increase wages and overall compensation by more than15% by January 1, 2026. This would represent $52 per hour in salary and benefits for regular maintenance employees, as well as a lump sum at signing. 

The Cemetery is available to continue to negotiate with representatives of each union to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

About Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery

The Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal is an NPO that manages the Notre-Damedes-Neiges Cemetery and the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal. Since its founding in 1854, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery has welcomed close to one million deceased persons in a unique site that is recognized as the largest cemetery in Canada, measuring 343 acres. A national historic site, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is a place of peace and remembrance, and is considered a jewel of Montreal's architectural, historical, arboreal, and environmental heritage. For more information, visit: cimetierenotredamedesneiges.ca.