Winfield Cemetery is located on Newene Road in Lake Country.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dan Fontaine

Dan Fontaine is hoping to find a solution after discovering two people are interred in a plot at a cemetery in Lake Country that belongs to his family.

Fontaine lives and works in Alberta but he has close family members with the surname Malleck who have lived in Lake Country since 1978, and some deceased family members are buried at the Winfield Cemetery on Newene Road.

In the spring of 2022, Fontaine went to the cemetery to pay his respects to deceased family when he discovered a plaque belonging to another family, the Brown family, was sitting in what should have been an empty plot owned by the Malleks.

“It’s a simple mistake, my grandfather and uncle and the Browns are all close together,” he said. “The Brown family plot is located one more plot to the south.”

Every plot is labelled on a poster board at the cemetery. Fontaine wants the Brown family to “scooch” over so the plot is available for his own family but he has faced obstacles because currently, nobody is in charge of the Winfield Cemetery.

“It’s unsanctioned, where it’s not being cared for by the municipality or the local church or anyone,” he said. “It’s in limbo.”

A board at Winfield Cemetery in Lake Country shows some history of the property along with the plot locations.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Dan Fontaine

Long-time Lake Country resident Rosemarie Carter said there have been questions in the town for many years as to who was overseeing the property since it was given to the community in the late 1930s. At one time it was in the care of a society that is no longer operating.

“I don’t know anyone who can provide all the answers and any previous correspondence is packed away somewhere,” she said. “The Lion’s have been doing some work there and the Legion goes to lay wreaths on veteran’s graves. That’s about the only maintenance being done. The municipality doesn’t want to take it over.”

Communications officer for the district of Lake Country, Karen Miller, said the district isn’t responsible for the property.

“It used to be managed by a non-profit society that is now defunct and is somewhat maintained by service clubs. It’s an interesting thing,” she said. “It’s important to be respectful of the families involved.”

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No one is allowed to be interred, or buried, at the cemetery anymore as there isn’t a registration arrangement with the government. Regardless, it’s important to Fontaine to have the plot back.

“I want the Browns to move over and give us room, I’m under the assumption they were also not allowed to inter someone so I’m thinking there are urns in there and they put those in themselves,” he said. “We didn’t plan on someone taking the plot and having to buy another one.”

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A few days ago Fontaine was finally able to connect with a family member of the Browns but no solution has been figured out yet. 

“I want to be as respectful as possible but I have to get a resolution on this, I can’t let it go,” he said.

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