Taken from Misissauga.com
The Benisasia Funeral Home in Malton worried local residents by applying to add a crematorium to its building. The City of Mississauga and the OMB have denied the plan. - File photo by Fred Loek
MISSISSAUGA — The Ontario Municipal Board has dismissed a Malton funeral home’s appeal of a City of Mississauga decision that prohibits it from building a crematorium. Benisasia Funeral Home had asked the City of Mississauga to re-zone its property on Derry Rd. E. so it could install a crematorium, but the municipality turned down the request last year. The City passed a bylaw in 2013 that prohibits crematoriums from being within 300 metres of residential areas. Ward 5 City Councillor Bonnie Crombie, who represents the area of the proposed crematorium, wasn’t at the OMB hearing on Monday (July 7) but sent her executive assistant. She said she was pleased with the OMB’s decision to dismiss the appeal. “This is a big win for the community,” said Crombie. “This was just the wrong location for a crematorium. I support cremation but (crematoriums) must be in the appropriate place.” Officials from the funeral home had previously told The News that many of their clients want cremation for religious or cultural reasons, but they currently have to send remains to other facilities for cremation. Benisasia co-owner Prabhjot Kaur Johal said he doesn’t plans to pursue the crematorium for now. “It is disappointing,” said Johal. “They didn’t look at the factors, how beneficial it would have been to the families that are grieving. At this point I’m going to put it on hold. I have an option, but I’m not going to exercise that option at this point.” The Concerned Citizens of Malton, which recently became registered as a residents’ association, formed in 2009 when people from the neighbourhood came together to oppose the crematorium. The organization’s president, Charles Barclay, said he was thrilled with the decision. “I’m extremely happy and this is what we had been striving for since the beginning,” said Barclay, who lives on Justine Dr. behind the funeral home. “It had a lot of people concerned.” They group felt the crematorium would have released toxins into the air, would have kept them from enjoying their property and would have also affected the environment. ~with files from San Grewal/Toronto Star