The main walkway in the Cemetery leads into Alder Trail, inviting you to go for a walk in Central Park. This 59-hectare conservation property is owned by the Denman Conservancy Association (DCA) and was whimsically named after New York City’s Central Park, acknowledging that Manhattan Island and Denman Island are approximately the same size and that both have parks located in the middle of the island.
Central Park is crisscrossed by a network of trails, which provide, among other things, a wooden walkway over Central Swale, a stunning view of the Beaufort Mountains and access to a provincial park trail that ends at Pickles Road.
At the start of the Cemetery project, one of the founders of the Denman Island Memorial Society (DIMS) wrote to the chair of DCA, asking about the possibility of a gift of land for a green cemetery. An agreement was reached the following year, paving the way for the donation of one hectare of Central Park, conditional on DIMS establishing a conservation covenant that would protect the ecological values while allowing the land to be used as a natural burial ground.
The location is perfect. At least a dozen people walk through the Cemetery on a daily basis to access Alder Trail. As a result, an increasing number of residents and visitors are becoming familiar with the concept and appeal of natural burial.