The Purpose of the Board
The Board ‘operating as’ Royal Oak Burial Park, Crematorium and Mausoleum (“the Burial Park”) is responsible in an oversight capacity for the development, operation and maintenance of the Burial Park.
The Board operates independent of its municipal stakeholders, and manages the Burial Park on a 100 per cent user pay model. The Board and the Burial Park do not receive any taxpayer subsidy from either stakeholder municipality for Burial Park management and operation.
At 54 hectares, the Burial Park is B.C.’s largest municipal cemetery and provides burial and cremation memorial services to over 1,400 families in the greater Victoria community every year. Burial Park goods and services are provided on an at-need and/or a pre-arranged basis.
In addition to providing policy oversight for the regular course of operation of the Burial Park, the Board also act as trustees for the Burial Park’s Pre-Paid Cemetery Services Trust Account and the Perpetual Care Reserve Fund.
The Board is required to maintain the Pre-Paid Cemetery Services Trust Account and the Perpetual Care Reserve Fund in compliance with legislation and regulation set out in the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act of B.C. and the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act of B.C.
Current Board Members
- Paul Taylor (Retired), Vice-Chair – appointed 2011
- Dave Obee, Editor Times Colonist – appointed May 2019
- Jim Cambridge, Sooke School District Superintendent (Retired) – appointed December 2021
- Chris Lawless, Economist (Retired) – appointed January 2006
- Alison MacKenzie, Manager of Strategic HR, Government of BC – appointed 2020
- Stephen Hammond, City of Vitoria Council member – appointed December 2022