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Northern Cemeteries Face Climate Change Erosion Threat
23 Dec
Summary
- Fort McPherson's cemetery is eroding due to thawing permafrost and land development.
- Communities struggle to address erosion with multiple agencies involved.
- Yukon's government is developing guidance for assessing and mitigating shoreline erosion.
Communities across Canada's North are confronting the urgent threat of riverbank erosion to their cemeteries, driven by thawing permafrost and climate change. In Fort McPherson, N.W.T., a steep slope threatens to consume a portion of the local cemetery and St. Matthew's Anglican Church within thirty years. Project manager Dennis Wright highlights the community's concern about potentially needing to relocate graves.
Addressing such erosion challenges involves navigating multiple government agencies for engineering, mapping, and funding. Miki Ehrlich notes the Yukon government's proactive approach in hiring an environmental consultant to develop mitigation strategies, a model that could benefit the Northwest Territories. Solutions range from site protection and relocation to accepting natural progression.
Past incidents, like the 2018 exposure of a grave near Tagish, highlight the need for swift, community-informed action and sensitive handling of remains. In Nunavut, Kugluktuk is monitoring erosion on Graveyard Island, anticipating difficult decisions about relocation for a cemetery containing family members. Fort McPherson is exploring conservation funding to measure ground stability and implement erosion-slowing measures like planting trees and filling cracks.
