Cemetery

There are two options for buying a plot at the Dryden Cemetery:

1. Visit the Cemetery department at City Hall (30 Van Horne Avenue) and buy a plot in person. You must pay for your plot at the time of purchase, including the care and maintenance fee.
2. Coordinate buying a plot through your local funeral director. Please note that you may need to visit the Cemetery department at City Hall in person to pay for your plot.

The City of Dryden works with local funeral homes to ensure burial arrangements meet the needs of you and your loved ones. The funeral director arranges a date and time for the interment. City of Dryden staff carry out all other aspects of the interment.

According to the Cemetery By-Law, the permitted number of burials for an adult grave (single depth) is a maximum of four burials, not more than one of which shall be for non-cremated remains. The permitted number of burials for a cremation grave or columbarium is a maximum of two burials, both of which shall be cremated remains.

Dryden Community Funeral Home 249 Grand Trunk Avenue Dryden, ON P8N 2X3 Phone: 807-221-3000 Fax: 807-221-3005

 Home - Dryden Community Funeral Home

Aurora Funeral Services 304 Kennedy Road Dryden, ON P8N 3G2 Phone: 807-223-2464

https://aurorafuneralservices.ca/

A 115 niche columbarium was added at the Dryden Cemetery in 2003.  Since then, several more columbaria have been added, the latest in 2025. They allow for cremation interments to take place, securely above ground. Each niche is designed for two cremation interments.  

A memorial wall was generously donated to The City of Dryden by Gordon David Lee in honour of the Kowalski Family in 2024. This wall has space for 48 bronze plaques sized 4in by 6in. These plaques can be purchased to commemorate loved ones with a name and their dates of birth and death. For pricing, please see the pricing list in the link at the top of this page. To purchase a plaque, contact larseneault@dryden.ca for more information.

To order and pay for a plaque please use the ORDER FORM. A proof of the plaque will be sent to the purchaser for final approval before it is ordered!

The Dryden Cemetery allows interments during the winter months. Please note that some restrictions may apply over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

According to the Cemetery By-Law, flower beds (18 inches in width or less) are allowed around the bases of monuments. If there is no monument, special permission for a flower bed may be given by the City Clerk.

Planting of borders around lots or graves is not allowed.

The Dryden Cemetery allows planting of the following flowers and plants:

• Annuals: Any small type of annual flower which will stay within the 18-inch limit of the flower bed.
• Perennials: Artemisia, Candytuft, Convallaria, Coreopsis, Dianthus, Heuchera, Liatris, Phlox, Saponaria, Sedum, Speedwell and Viola all in low growing or creeping varieties.
• Shrubs: Daphne - low variety, Spirea - low or mounded.

Please note that natural and artificial flowers, vases, urns and flower stands not properly cared for may be removed from the lot or grave. Any stand, holder, vase or other receptacle for flowers deemed unsightly or unsuitable may be prohibited or removed.

The cemetery also doesn't allow glass vases. All containers must be of a non-breakable material for the safety and convenience of maintenance staff.

When you buy a Dryden Cemetery plot, some of that money is put into a Perpetual Care Trust Fund. Required under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, the Perpetual Care Fee is a one-time fee, charged per grave. Some of the fee goes to general maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery. The remainder of the fee is put into a trust for long-term care of the cemetery.

Maintenance includes:

• Cutting the grass
• Reseeding as required
• Grading and re-leveling, when necessary
• Overall general care of the cemetery

Borders, fences and enclosures

According to the Cemetery By-Law, borders, fences, railings, walls, cut-stone copings, concrete or stone borders and hedges are not allowed in or upon any lot or grave within the Dryden Cemetery. Please note that existing enclosures that have become unsightly due to age or neglect will be removed.

Loss or damage

The City of Dryden is not responsible for the loss of or damage to any portable articles such as flowers and trinkets left upon any lot, grave or niche and is also not responsible for any damage to any lot, grave, niche, monument, marker, structure, photograph, etc.