End-of-life plans can make for difficult discussion, but that's something Emily Bootle hopes to spur, specifically on the topic of green burials.
On Thursday, July 10, the Kamloops licensed funeral director, who provides planning services with Bowers Funeral Service and Crematorium in Salmon Arm, will be hosting a free talk entitled Green Burials & Value Based Planning.
Bootle has seen a growing interest in green burials, which are considered an environmentally conscious means of interment, in which a body is buried without embalming while using only biodegradable materials such as a shroud or a plain, untreated wooden casket.
"Green burial is the way that humanity has traditionally cared for their dead. Simple in-ground burial is an effective, respectful form of disposition, and now recognized as one of the earliest rituals of human civilization," explains the Green Burial Society of Canada, whose board Bootle served with for three years.
"I think about two years into my career, I got wind of a community movement that was happening especially around burial, so I got involved in that…," said Bootle of green burial. "It’s been a passion of mine for an number of reasons. Part of it is environmental, part of it is I just really believe in ritual and gathering after a death happens, and when you have a burial it happens organically."
When asked what green burials are, Bootle explained there are options of varying "shades of green," with the most eco-friendly being "conservation burials."
"On Denman Island there’s a conservation burial site where they have an agreement with a conservancy and they manage the land according to the rules, the parameters set out by the conservancy," said Bootle. "The cemetery here is actually part of the restoration and maintaining of that land, so that’s kind of as far on the green side as you can go…"
On the lighter side of green, said Bootle, are conventional cemeteries where they allow natural burials without embalming or treated wood or metal caskets.
Salmon Arm's Cemetery Management Bylaw accommodates green burials.
"Salmon Arm has all the right wording in there; I think it’s just implementation at this point," said Bootle.
Responding to local interest in green burials at an October 2024 city council meeting, engineering and public works director Rob Niewenhuizen confirmed the current bylaw includes provisions for green burials, but said "we don’t have a site to do it and we also don’t have a fee for service for that particular service."
"In order to do it we’d have to do the design, we’d have to look at the cost and get a budget set up for the development of that green burial plot, and we would have to determine sort of the business case and that would have to be submitted to the province – I believe it’s to change the bylaw and also the fees," said Niewenhuizen.
When talking about green burials, one concern Bootle often hears has to do with soil contamination.
"At the end of the day we are organic and it’s actually pretty amazing nature has evolved to basically break everything back down to its components on a long enough time line," said Bootle.
"Obviously something like a titanium hip or knees, breast implants, those things will not break down, but if you look at the grand scheme of the things people are putting into the soil, you really have to put it into perspective… and if you compare the greenhouse emissions of burning up silicone implants or your mercury fillings, you just have to choose your battle in terms of environmental exposures."
Bootle said she supports the practice of cremation, noting a "major reason why B.C. has a 90 per cent cremation rate is because of cost."
"When you do a burial it’s probably going to double the cost of your after-death services and that’s because you have to buy property," said Bootle. "I’m pretty up front with that. Not everyone has access.That being said, for people who decide to make a value-based decision, and do have access and the ability to put their money where that value is, then green burial is great for them."
For Bootle, the burial process in general is a positive thing and worthy of discussion.
"In my opinion, it’s co-equally valuable because of the community involvement and the community experience of burial," said Bootle. "We’ve become quite disconnected from our dead. Burial really pulls us out of that."
Bootle's planning presentation begins at 2 p.m. at Bouwers Funeral Home at 440 10th Street SW in Salmon Arm. Those interested in taking part are asked to RSVP to office@bowersfuneralservice.com.
