Calgary has completed a major revitalization of the Erlton Chinese Cemetery, one of the city’s oldest cultural burial grounds, ensuring the legacy of early Chinese residents is preserved for future generations.Established in 1908 as a dedicated site for Chinese residents excluded from other cemeteries, the Erlton Cemetery has long served as a place of remembrance and community. The recent restoration, funded through the Parks and Playground Amenities Program, combined cultural respect, historical preservation, and modern engineering to safeguard 343 fragile monuments.Community input guided every step of the project, including a site visit by a Feng Shui Master to ensure traditions were honoured. Volunteers from Calgary’s Chinese community assisted with cleaning monuments and restoring turf using eco-friendly methods such as loaming, seeding, fertilizing, and watering..By the time work began, many concrete monuments were cracked or broken. Staff carefully removed and stabilized 177 monuments with epoxy and reset them on Monugrid Reinforced Soil Foundations, a sustainable, low-carbon alternative to concrete. Translators helped ensure inscriptions were preserved and stones returned to their correct locations.“This project was deeply meaningful for our team,” said Jeff Sieben, Cemeteries Operations Foreman. “Seeing these fragile monuments carefully restored while working alongside community volunteers was a memorable experience I’m proud to have been a part of.”.Ward 7 Councillor Terry Wong said the revitalization “is an act of remembrance and respect,” honouring the struggles and contributions of Calgary’s early Chinese pioneers while strengthening bonds with the community.The project concluded with a Community Celebration on August 23, recognizing hundreds of volunteer hours, sharing stories of cultural heritage, and reaffirming the cemetery’s enduring importance.Gary Daudlin, Cemeteries Lead, said the work “demonstrates the power of collaboration, strengthening the bond between the City of Calgary and the Chinese community. The success of this project ensures this cemetery continues to stand as a meaningful cultural landmark for generations to come.”
