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Items placed on Langley Township graves to be removed this spring

Annual cleanup is for cemetery workers safety, says Township
31832944_web1_201008-LAT-FortCemetery
Fort Langley Cemetery was created as a local community burial plot in 1881, and is one of the oldest cemeteries in Langley. (Langley Advance Times files)

Anyone who has left personal items on a grave in Langley Township and wants to retrieve them has until April 11 to do so.

An annual cleanup of what the Township calls “restricted adornments” will be held on that date.

There are three cemeteries owned and run by the Township – Fort Langley Cemetery, at 23105 St. Andrew’s Ave., Langley Lawn Cemetery, at 4393 208 St., and Murrayville Cemetery at 21405 44 Ave.

While it’s common to leave flowers on graves, people also leave other items, many of which can’t be as easily cleared away, or which don’t break down over time.

“As adornments and decorations are placed and accumulate over time, they break or deteriorate creating a challenging and unsafe situation for maintenance staff who cut the lawns and the public who visit the cemetery,” said a Township statement about the upcoming cleanup.

The Township is asking anyone who has left a personal item on a Township cemetery grave to retrieve them before the April 11 date.

Items collected on April 11 will be held for 60 days to allow people time to retrieve them.

The Cemetery Main Office is located at Langley Lawn Cemetery at 4393 208 Street. It’s open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Inquiries can be made by calling 604-534-5965 or emailing cemetery@tol.ca.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Young volunteers prepare Langley veterans cemeteries for Remembrance Day

READ ALSO: Coins on tombstones, an American tradition that has gradually taken root in Canada


Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com
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Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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