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Hello everyone! Here is an update on happenings at the cemetery.
The green line in the above graph shows how our investments plus annual donations can no longer keep up with our expenses. At the current burn-rate, we will run out of money by 2039. In the last 2 years we've had to draw from our investment side to pay for grass cutting and hedge trimming.
The numbers are easy to comprehend: We have $32,000 in GICs at 4% giving us an income of $1300. With annual donations of around $1000 and expenses averaging $3500 we are short $1200 which has to come from our investments. With inflation at 2% and new investments probably less than 4%, we will run out around 2039.
How to solve this problem?
We can balance the books by cutting expenses (stop cutting the grass) or raise income through donations .. or a bit of both.
If we reduce the grass cutting frequency, it is harder to cut the longer grass and we don't save much and lose a lot in appearance. We can let the hedge grow wild but we would risk having to remove it in the future if it gets far out of control. This would be a major effort and expense.
So that leaves us with fund raising.
As you can see from the graph above, if we raise $70,000 over the next 10 years through significant donations and bequeaths, we will be in far better shape by 2040 and into the 2nd half of the century. Predicting anything beyond 2050 is probably a fool's errand and we should not worry.
Dahla Erin MacKenna : 1972 to 2023-08-23
From her earliest years Dahla captivated everyone. She was curious, gifted and had an insatiable desire to learn, explore, and connect with the world. She was raised by her mom, Patti. When she was 16, Patti met Peter, giving Dahla the joys of belonging to a large and loving family. .. read more here ⇗
Diana Ann MacLachlan House : 1941-07-01-2014-01-21
Diana was interred July 1st 2024 on her birth day in plot P13 ⇗ at the foot of her parent's plots: Peter Norman MacLachlan MD ⇗ and Winnifred Ann Knowles ⇗.
See also: Family tree - Obituary ⇗.
Alberta Clare MacLachlan Lamb ⇗ Headstone gets the prize for 'best dressed' this fall. It was a tough decision but the image below wins because of the deep contrasting colours and the Landry and other headstones in the background.
As you wander through the cemetery you will find a number of 'Lamb' headstones. Yes, the Lambs came from Scotland and you will have seen a number of stories on this website about the Lambs of Lochaber Bay including the amazing book by Helen Lamb Shearman. (See Stories and 'The Lambs of the Lower Ottawa Valley').
Let's take this opportunity to highlight 'yet another Lamb' family starting with Samuel Whitney Lamb ⇗ who was born and subsequently died in the Province of New Brunswick.
Samuel Whitney Lamb : 1839-1930
He looks pretty dapper here in this photo .. and relevant to us, he had 9 children with his second wife 'Debra Mabee'!
Their first born son was William Wilfred Lamb ⇗ who came to settle in Thurso and was employed by the Singer Company until his death in 1950.
Buried in plot H7 ⇗ he had four sons. Two of those sons are also buried at our cemetery.
Milton died young from a industrial accident at a saw mill and Frank married Ora J Hollingsworth.
We have great memories of Ora coming to social gatherings at the cemetery with precious cookies and sandwiches to help feed the crowd.
Frank and Ora are buried at plot NP14 ⇗ right beside Dr John William Foote ⇗ who married their daughter Jennifer .. very much alive in Arkansas!
The 'Foote' and 'Lamb' headstones are often decorated with the most beautiful flowers celebrating 'lives well lived'.
Take a look at this family tree ⇗ and explore the database and connections with the MacLachlans and links back to the cemetery.
We are lucky to have as our caretaker Vincent Boucher. He has helped us with a number of headstone projects and of course he does a great job cutting our grass. Vincent also does the trimming our hedge - every second year (can't afford yearly).
Next year is a hedge-trimming year so donations appreciated!
As you know, we installed a log book in 2022 and we encourage visitors to record comments and leave a hint of who they are and why they are visiting the cemetery.
We are up to 20 pages of comments now!
You need to come and take a read through the logbook .. it is a rewarding experience and ofcourse you get to have lunch on a green bench!
Many thanks to everyone that visits and leaves a message. It enriches our cemetery greatly.
Our investment fund is small (from donations dating back decades!) which provides an income stream that does not fully cover the grass cutting .. let alone the hedge trimming!
All donations are welcome and help us cut the grass and preserve our investment funds for future income.
Make a commitment to make an annual donation and join our Remind Me to DONATE list.
Donations by cheque can be made to:
Lochaber Bay Cemetery Company
c/o William Lamb, Treasurer
246 Wall Rd
Navan, Ontario
K4B 1H9
Donations by e-transfer can be made to:
donate@lochabercemetery.org
Enter your email address or mailing address in the message window so we can send you a receipt!
Full Disclosure:The Lochaber Bay Cemetery Company is not a Registered Charity but rather a 'non-profit' entity.That means we don't have financial or legal expenses and our board of directors are strictly volunteer. All donations go towards cemetery maintenance and capital projects.
Do you have some ideas you think we should pursue?
Maybe something you would like see 'fixed' at the cemetery?
Do you have suggestions for Memorial Service? Date, frequency etc.?
Let us know by sending us a message on our contact form here.
The Lochaber Bay Cemetery Company was established in 1936 with letters patent signed during the reign of King Edward VIII (see Letters-Patent-01 ⇗).
We have an opening for a Director and if you are interested please let us know!
We meet by zoom at least once a year for our AGM and organize a memorial service usually every 2 years. We also organize a work day (or two) periodically to do maintenance at the cemetery which usually involves fence work (replacing boards, painting).
If you would like to become a board member and contribute to the longevity of the cemetery use our contact form here.
Special thanks to Devon Purcell for agreeing to be our auditor!
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Headstone photos mostly by Elaine Howes - copyright © 2010-2021