Cemeteries

Home/Services/Cemeteries

The Municipality of South Huron is the not for profit, licensed cemetery operator for the Exeter Public Cemetery. The operator's license number is 3277923, with the Clerk as the main contact. The Exeter Public Cemetery license number is CM-01532. We are dedicated to helping families and individuals understand and make decisions regarding cemetery services and products. This is done in a manner that is sensitive, caring and comforting.

Cemetery Services

The Exeter Cemetery is located at the corner of Thames Road West and Airport Line - 39650 Dashwood Road.

A cemetery map, list of burial services offered by the municipality and copy of the Cemetery By-Law is available by contacting the Clerk's Department cemetery@southhuron.ca.

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario publishes a Consumer Information Guide to funeral, burial, cremation & transfer services.

Search the Exeter Public Cemetery

Locate a loved one who has been laid to rest in the Exeter Public Cemetery.

Please note the accuracy of the Cemetery Search is based upon best information available through historic cemetery records. Results cannot be guaranteed and in cases of missing data, further information may not be available. GIS mapping locations (when available) are approximate only and may not reflect the exact location of cemetery lots.

Should the information noted on the online search be incorrect, please reach out to the Clerk’s Department by emailing cemetery@southhuron.ca or calling 519-235-0310 to speak with a staff member.

Search the Exeter Public Cemetery

Donations to the Exeter Public Cemetery

Donations (in lieu of flowers) are gratefully accepted by the Municipality to assist with the care and maintenance of the Exeter Cemetery. An official receipt for income tax purposes will be provided upon request. Please contact the Municipal Office for any additional information.

Cemetery Flowerbed Contracts

In keeping with the provisions of the cemetery By-Law, flowerbeds are to be planted by municipal staff only. Please note the deadline to purchase a new or renew your current flowerbed is May 1 of each year. Contact the Clerk's Department at 519-235-0310 or cemetery@southhuron.ca.

Members of the public are welcome to place fresh-cut flowers at a loved one’s grave, which will be removed by staff after a reasonable time. Flower saddles are permitted to be placed on headstones. Please note that solar lights are permitted within the boundaries of approved flower beds and in flower saddles. Solar lights are not permitted in grassed areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the right to be buried in a family grave?
There are many family plots in the Exeter Cemetery and have been in the family for generations. The greater the generational gap between the original “rights holders” and those wishing to be buried in the plot, the more complicated obtaining proper permission can become. It is not unusual to require ten to twenty signatures in order to permit a burial. Who has the legal authority to make the decision of who can be buried in a family grave? Here is a partial list of who may act as the legal representative: 1. Estate trustee, also called an executor or executrix, who is named in the will (or an administrator appointed by the court) 2. Spouse 3. Adult children (18 and over). Ontario has statutes and common law to determine who may act as the legal representative(s) when a person passes away without a valid will. The ultimate decision maker will be specific to the circumstances of each case but will generally default to a court-appointed Estate Administrator or the deceased’s next of kin. You can see section 2.8 of our Cemetery By-Law for more information.
How many Burials are allowed in one grave?
Each traditional grave in the cemetery has the capacity for 4 individuals, being 1 traditional burial with 3 cremations on top (unless otherwise indicated in the contract). Double depth burials are prohibited except where authorization has been previously granted in writing. Cremation lots have the capacity for 2 individuals’ cremated remains. A Niche in a Columbarium has the capacity for 2 individuals’ cremated remains.
Can I reserve a spot in a grave for a specific person?
The interment rights holders are able to reserve a spot in a grave for a specific individual. Please contact the clerk's department for further details.
What is the cost of a grave?
Please see our Price List page for information.
What is the interment fee for?
The interment fee covers the cost of opening and closing of the gravesite for a burial or the opening and closing of a Niche in the Columbarium.
Why is there a Care and Maintenance Fee included in the price of a grave?
The Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act requires that every cemetery operator who sells, assigns or transfers interment rights or scattering rights or who permits the interment of human remains or the scattering of cremated remains in the cemetery have a care and maintenance fund. Care and Maintenance, formerly known as Perpetual Care, contributions became mandatory in Ontario in 1955. A percentage of Interment Rights purchased is put into the Care & Maintenance Trust Fund. The Cemetery can use the interest off this fund to help maintain the Cemetery forever. Regular Care & Maintenance activities include: cutting grass, leveling graves, planting and caring for trees, snow removal, and maintenance of water supply systems, roads and drainage. For graves, markers and monuments sold prior to 1955, if no contributions for Care and Maintenance were collected, Care and Maintenance may be charged at the current price list rate.
Am I able to purchase multiple graves in the same area?
There are many different divisions in the Exeter Public Cemetery available. Certain divisions are set up so that multiple graves next to each other must be purchased at the same time, whether it’s 2, 3 or 4 side by side.
How many monuments and markers can I have?
The number of monuments permitted depends on the location in the Cemetery. In a single grave section, each grave is permitted one (1) monument (headstone). Divisions in the cemetery that have multi-grave plots, one (1) monument (headstone) is permitted for the plot (ex. in 2 grave divisions (10 or 11), one monument would be centered over the two graves within the plot. Plots in 3 and 4 grave sections the monument is placed off center to allow for a monument for the plot on the back side of the row). Contact the clerk’s department to confirm same. Each grave is permitted one (1) flat marker which is installed at the foot of the grave.
Vault vs. No Vault
Vaults are mandatory for every full burial with the exception of burials in the No Vault Section in Division 2. Burials in the No Vault section are interred at the discretion of the Cemetery Operator in the consecutive order of the graves/lots.
When are foundations required for markers?
Foundations are required for any marker that measures over 173 square inches. All Monuments must have a foundation.
What is the difference between a head stone/monument and a footstone/marker?
Monuments are upright and located at the head of the grave. Markers (also known as footstones) are flat and placed 84” from the top of the grave.
When are burials permitted?
Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Saturday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon No interments take place on Sundays or Statutory Holidays
Can our family pet be buried in the Cemetery?
Animal remains, including cremated remains are not allowed to be placed in a niche, buried or scattered on cemetery grounds.
Can we scatter remains of our loved ones on a family lot?
Cremated remains are not permitted to be scattered in the Cemetery.
How much notice is needed for a burial/interment?
The Municipality shall be given at least 16 business hours of notice for each burial/interment.
What documents are required to complete a burial?
See our arranging a burial (interment) page for details.

Who has the right to be buried in a family grave?

There are many family plots in the Exeter Cemetery and have been in the family for generations. The greater the generational gap between the original “rights holders” and those wishing to be buried in the plot, the more complicated obtaining proper permission can become. It is not unusual to require ten to twenty signatures in order to permit a burial.

Who has the legal authority to make the decision of who can be buried in a family grave?

Here is a partial list of who may act as the legal representative:

1. Estate trustee, also called an executor or executrix, who is named in the will (or an administrator appointed by the court)

2. Spouse

3. Adult children (18 and over).

Ontario has statutes and common law to determine who may act as the legal representative(s) when a person passes away without a valid will. The ultimate decision maker will be specific to the circumstances of each case but will generally default to a court-appointed Estate Administrator or the deceased’s next of kin.

You can see section 2.8 of our Cemetery By-Law for more information.

How many Burials are allowed in one grave?

Each traditional grave in the cemetery has the capacity for 4 individuals, being 1 traditional burial with 3 cremations on top (unless otherwise indicated in the contract).
Double depth burials are prohibited except where authorization has been previously granted in writing.
Cremation lots have the capacity for 2 individuals’ cremated remains.
A Niche in a Columbarium has the capacity for 2 individuals’ cremated remains.

Can I reserve a spot in a grave for a specific person?

The interment rights holders are able to reserve a spot in a grave for a specific individual. Please contact the clerk's department for further details.

What is the cost of a grave?

Please see our Price List page for information.

What is the interment fee for?

The interment fee covers the cost of opening and closing of the gravesite for a burial or the opening and closing of a Niche in the Columbarium.

Why is there a Care and Maintenance Fee included in the price of a grave?

The Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act requires that every cemetery operator who sells, assigns or transfers interment rights or scattering rights or who permits the interment of human remains or the scattering of cremated remains in the cemetery have a care and maintenance fund.

Care and Maintenance, formerly known as Perpetual Care, contributions became mandatory in Ontario in 1955. A percentage of Interment Rights purchased is put into the Care & Maintenance Trust Fund. The Cemetery can use the interest off this fund to help maintain the Cemetery forever. Regular Care & Maintenance activities include: cutting grass, leveling graves, planting and caring for trees, snow removal, and maintenance of water supply systems, roads and drainage.

For graves, markers and monuments sold prior to 1955, if no contributions for Care and Maintenance were collected, Care and Maintenance may be charged at the current price list rate.

Am I able to purchase multiple graves in the same area?

There are many different divisions in the Exeter Public Cemetery available. Certain divisions are set up so that multiple graves next to each other must be purchased at the same time, whether it’s 2, 3 or 4 side by side.

How many monuments and markers can I have?

The number of monuments permitted depends on the location in the Cemetery. In a single grave section, each grave is permitted one (1) monument (headstone). Divisions in the cemetery that have multi-grave plots, one (1) monument (headstone) is permitted for the plot (ex. in 2 grave divisions (10 or 11), one monument would be centered over the two graves within the plot. Plots in 3 and 4 grave sections the monument is placed off center to allow for a monument for the plot on the back side of the row). Contact the clerk’s department to confirm same.

Each grave is permitted one (1) flat marker which is installed at the foot of the grave.

Vault vs. No Vault

Vaults are mandatory for every full burial with the exception of burials in the No Vault Section in Division 2. Burials in the No Vault section are interred at the discretion of the Cemetery Operator in the consecutive order of the graves/lots.

When are foundations required for markers?

Foundations are required for any marker that measures over 173 square inches.

All Monuments must have a foundation.

What is the difference between a head stone/monument and a footstone/marker?

Monuments are upright and located at the head of the grave. Markers (also known as footstones) are flat and placed 84” from the top of the grave.

When are burials permitted?

Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Saturday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
No interments take place on Sundays or Statutory Holidays

Can our family pet be buried in the Cemetery?

Animal remains, including cremated remains are not allowed to be placed in a niche, buried or scattered on cemetery grounds.

Can we scatter remains of our loved ones on a family lot?

Cremated remains are not permitted to be scattered in the Cemetery.

How much notice is needed for a burial/interment?

The Municipality shall be given at least 16 business hours of notice for each burial/interment.

What documents are required to complete a burial?

See our arranging a burial (interment) page for details.

Contact(s)