Humboldt council chambers was filled to capacity by residents awaiting council's decision on giving Malinoski and Danyluik Funeral Home discretionary use to install and operate a crematorium within city limits. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff)

By Aaron Schulze

Crematorium Conundrum

Humboldt council approves discretionary use for crematorium

Oct 9, 2019 | 10:19 AM

Four months after sending their initial application to city council, the co-owners of a Humboldt funeral home received permission to install and operate a crematorium.

Humboldt council gave Malinoski and Danyluik Funeral Home discretionary use to install and operate a crematorium on its property on Eighth Ave. in front of a packed city hall council chambers on Oct. 08.

“I’d like to say we’re encouraged the city looked at all the information they got,” Co-owner Connie Danyluik told northeastNOW. “They made their decision based on that and not on feelings.”

Danyluik and her business partner Gloria Malinoski originally sent in their discretionary use application to Humboldt council in June 2019. Council postponed its decision during the Aug. 26 meeting due to concerns expressed from residents regarding a crematorium within city limits.

The City of Humboldt and Malinoski and Danyluik Funeral Home hosted a public information session on Sept. 12 to answer questions and receive feedback. City staff also received 157 submissions from residents, businesses, and organizations in Humboldt regarding their thoughts on a crematorium within city limits. City Planner Frank Carpentieri said approximately 54 per cent of submissions were against a crematorium while 46 per cent were for.

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Janet Muyres, a resident from the Water Ridge area in Humboldt close to Malinoski and Danyluik Funeral Home, told council during her delegation in the meeting that she hopes they take the issues she and other residents have to heart.

“I struggle with the thought of where our city is in terms of caring for its citizens when just one component of a business is overruled by many citizens of the city,” Muyres said in the chambers. “They have other options; it does not have to be within city limits. Anybody that is wanting to further a business… it has to be in appropriate areas. Are we any less than our neighbours like in Saskatoon or Prince Albert that don’t allow crematoriums within their city? We urge you to give your sincerest consideration to the overall welfare of the people of Humboldt.”

Janet Muyres (right) address Humboldt council during her delegation (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

Along with the delegation, council voted during the meeting to allow anyone in attendance to speak for five minutes prior to the decision.

Questions and statements regarding health concerns, property value, and council and city’s research came from the gallery. Mayor Rob Muench said after the meeting that he has spent more time and energy on the crematorium conundrum more than any other issue during his 13 years on Humboldt council.

“Staff have been working tremendously on this to get the information that we’ve asked for,” Muench said. “We didn’t take this decision lightly. When you have as many people who have contributed their comments as they have over the last number of weeks, we wanted to make sure we heard everybody’s comments either for or against and gave ample opportunity to do that.”

A report presented by Carpentieri during the meeting said city administration had been liaising with provincial government agencies to gather information and comment to assist council in understanding the cremation industry.

In the report, the Saskatchewan Government’s Office of the Chief Medical Health Officer said studies conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show that crematorium substances charged into the air are at levels well below regulatory and health guidelines. Levels of mercury emitted from the crematorium are also considered extremely low and do not pose a health risk.

When decision time arrived, Humboldt council voted four to one in favour of approving discretionary use for the crematorium. Councillor Roger Nordick declared a conflict of interest and removed himself from the decision, while Councillor Sandy Weyland was the only vote against.

Weyland told Danyluik and Malinoski in council chambers that while she thanks them for trying to provide a service to the city, she couldn’t vote in favour due to concerns from many residents.

“Many people that we’ve received submissions from aren’t against having a crematorium, their issue is out of the city limits,” Weyland said in council chambers. “I know that would be a huge cost for your funeral home to have to do that because you have a place already… it makes the decision very difficult.”

Muench said after the meeting that his decision was based on the information brought forward by city staff and talking to residents near crematoriums in similar sized communities such as Melfort and Wadena.

“We talked to businesses as well within the vicinity and from Melfort I got 100 per cent positive comments from everybody I talked to,” Muench said. “Some were long-term residents that remember when the crematorium opened in Melfort. They had concerns back then and now they’re okay and don’t have complaints. By talking to people that are living with these every day you’re going to get an honest opinion.”

Muench added that the submissions sent to the city being a near 50-50 split didn’t help his decision.

“I also have to consider there are still 5,800 people that didn’t submit,” he said. “Those people are either not concerned, not concerned enough to talk to anybody about it, or they’re just indifferent.”

Danyluik said she’s not concerned with 54 per cent of the submissions being against a crematorium within city limits.

“157 people really isn’t an accurate count of what the general consensus of the city is,” she said. “I think once it’s in operation and people see that it isn’t necessarily something to be worried about it’ll be a non issue.”

Danyluik expects the crematorium to be installed in six to eight months, with a targeted opening in April or May 2020.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow