St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec – The leaders of Citizens Opposed to Crematoriums Adjacent to Residential Homes (COCARH) announce that on April 1, 2021, they have served formal notice on the City of St-Bruno-de-Montarville not to issue a permit to the Coopérative funéraire du Grand Montréal (CFDGM) to build a supra-regional funeral complex in a residential neighborhood.
In addition to a head office and numerous rooms for funeral services, this project provides for the operation of two crematoriums and the option of adding a third, thus increasing the capacity for cremation of remains to nearly 9,000 per year. As proposed, the project is located on a small lot of land on a narrow street, upwind of the prevailing winds and less than 30 meters from homes. The toxic fumes from these incinerators (including fine particles, dioxins and mercury) will accumulate on the hillside town and in the National Parc of Mount Saint-Bruno.
Now with a petition of more than 1,200 names, the COCARH movement is supported by a large number of Montarvillian residents who expressed their rejection of the project at a stormy public meeting in January 2020 in which the municipal council participated. Three citizen demonstrations have taken place in St-Bruno in the past four weeks and the movement is growing steadily.
About the non-profit organization COCARH
COCARH is officially registered as a non-profit organization (NPO). Its mission is to preserve the health and quality of life of Quebec citizens by preventing environmental pollution and toxicity generated by the operation of crematoria. The main objectives of the movement are to
1. Oppose the construction of new crematoriums in residential areas;
2. Denounce current cremation practices in Quebec;
3. inform the public, environmental associations and organizations, and the various levels of government concerned about the dangers of crematoria in residential areas;
4. Promote the use of cremation standards and methods based on scientifically proven best technological practices.
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