City of Waterloo to exit crematorium business at Parkview Cemetery
Posted Dec 8, 2025 04:31:21 AM.
Last Updated Dec 9, 2025 05:45:47 AM.
Business at the City of Waterloo-operated crematorium at Parkview Cemetery has gone way down, and a report to council recommends signing over the operation to a private business.
The report cites “declining cremation volumes due to increased market competition,” adding some of the funeral homes in Waterloo are planning to open their own crematoriums within five years,
The Parkview crematorium’s business peaked in 2022 with more than 1,600 cremations, in what was at the time two working retorts (essentially, the ovens.)
This year, staff project only 600 cremations in the newer single retort, and project further declines in the future.
The report says “Parkview Crematorium is projected to become a partially tax based funded enterprise.”
The staff recommendation is for the city to sign a 10-year lease with Southwest Crematoriums Limited to take over the Parkview crematorium.
Documents posted online for the council meeting do not specify the dollar value of the contract.
The report comes up to council at their 2:00 meeting on Monday.
