Ever since the first memorial bench was installed in a Burnaby park in 1992 - Burnaby's centennial year - the tradition of honouring loved ones with a special place to sit has been popular among local families.
Last summer Carol Robillard paid for a bench to be installed in Confederation Park that bears a plaque with her mother's name - Maisie Blackburn - who died last year at 96.
Robillard said her mother was never comfortable discussing plans for what to do with her remains after her death, but knowing her family would have a bench donated in her name was an easy choice to make.
"When we mentioned the bench, she got a smile and she said, 'Oh, I'd like that,'" she said. "So every time I see the bench I think of mom - well, I do all the time anyway, I still really miss her because we were very close - so it just means that I did something that she really thought would be very nice."
There are several hundred donation benches throughout city green spaces, with Central Park being the most popular location, according to Henry deJong, park design technician for the City of Burnaby.
The donation program - called Presenting Burnaby Parks - has been a wonderful way for the city to recoup costs for park infrastructure while at the same time giving residents a way to honour their loved ones, he noted.
"It's a bonus for the city because we can replace an old redundant-type bench with a brand new bench," he said.
Benches start at $2,000, and are tax deductible because they're considered gifts to the city.
They last between 15 and 20 years, and once they have worn out, the original donors have the option of renewing them.
Robillard's said she is glad her grandchildren will have a place to go that's near their home to remember their great-grandmother, especially as it's also a place that meant so much to Maisie, who spent much of her time at Confederation Center.
"We've been tickled pink that the bench is there," she said.
As well as memorial benches, the program also includes options to donate picnic tables, water fountains, playground equipment and other park infrastructure.
So far this year, seven memorial benches have been donated to the city.
There are still many spots available in neighbourhood parks around town for memorial benches, deJong said, though with the continuing popularity of the program, it is likely there will come a day when the city will have to cap the number of benches in local parks.
"There will definitely be some kind of limit down the road," he said.
For more information about the Presenting Burnaby Parks donation program, contact Henry deJong at 604-294-7154.
www.twitter.com/BurnabyNOW_news
