Memorial Bench Programme
Through the memorial bench programme, the City of Westmount offers the opportunity to dedicate a memorial bench in a City park or green space in memory of the passing of a loved one who was once a resident of this community.
The City of Westmount, through its Public Works Department, administers and supports a municipal memorial bench programme in place of the current memorial tree program. The memorial bench programme allows for memorial benches with personalized plaques affixed in select public green spaces and parks. Each memorial bench will accommodate a maximum of two (2) distinct commemorative plaques.
A commemorative plaque on a memorial bench is a form of remembrance for a loved one who was a Westmount resident. To be eligible, the name on the plaque must be of a deceased person (no pets) who was a former long-time resident of Westmount.
The purchaser will contact Montreal Stencil (3537 Ashby St., Saint-Laurent, QC H4R 2K3 – (514) 866-4721) to coordinate the fabrication of the proof and plaque. Montreal Stencil will only make these plaques to a specification requested by the city, but for your information, these specifications are listed below:
- Dimensions: 5” x 3.5” x 1/8” (127 mm x 88.9 mm x 3.175 mm)
- Material: Aluminum
- Engraving type: Metal Photo
- Font: Monotype Corsiva Regular
- The plaque must have a black border.
See sample photo below.
Inappropriate or offensive content within the text will not be accepted.
The purchaser will pay the designated supplier directly and will arrange to have the plaque sent to:
- Memorial Bench Programme
City of Westmount, Public Works Department
1 rue Béthune
Westmount, Quebec
H3Z 2L2
The fees associated with this programme are as follows:
- $1500,00 for a commemorative plaque on a shared memorial bench (maximum 2 plaques per bench);
- $3000.00 for a commemorative plaque on an exclusive memorial bench.
The fees include the installation of the plaque and the maintenance of the bench. The cost of the plaque, as agreed upon by the purchaser and the plaque supplier is excluded from this fee.
The fee for the bench may be paid by cheque, Visa or Master Card. Cheques for the bench should be made payable to the City of Westmount.
The fees cover the ten (10) year lifespan of the bench. After the ten (10) year time period, the bench will be removed and replaced. The City of Westmount will attempt to contact the purchaser to return the plaque. The purchaser will receive first priority to re-install a plaque in the same location under the terms of the current policy at that time.
Vandalized or stolen plaques are not guaranteed and must be replaced at the purchasers cost. Damaged or stolen benches will be replaced by the City of Westmount at no additional cost to the purchaser. The original date of the ten (10) year term will be honoured in the case of replacement benches or plaques.
Once the initial request has been approved, the complete fee payment for the bench must be received for the process to initiate.
This policy permits commemorative plaques on memorial benches in City green spaces and parks as follows:
- King George Park
- Westmount Park
- WAG
- Queen Elizabeth Gardens (No benches are yet available in Queen Elizabeth Gardens. Please contact us directly if you would like to be placed on a waiting list for a bench in this space)
The waiting list is on a first come, first served, basis. Benches cannot be moved to another location after their installation should a different area become available at a later date. Only traditional-style benches can be used as memorial benches.
Use the interactive map at the top of the page to select the desired bench, and enter the bench’s ID number in the form below. We recommend that you visit the site and visually confirm the location of the desired bench.
The City reserves the right to change/modify the list of locations based on the current need for benches in any given location.
- Relocation
The City reserves the right to re-locate a bench or plaque, in the eventuality that such a move is necessary (i.e. bench is subject to recurrent vandalism / the park is scheduled for re-development / servicing upgrades, etc.). The City will attempt to contact the purchaser prior to re-location.
The commemorative plaque on a memorial bench will be for a ten (10) year term from the date of installation of the plaque. If the plaque or bench is replaced for any reason, the contract remains valid from the original date of installation.
The City will return the plaque to the purchaser at the expiry of the term if requested.
Memorial bench programme applications will be accepted and reviewed throughout the year.
Plaques will be installed during the spring/summer months of the current or subsequent year at the discretion of the Public Works Department.
The upkeep and maintenance of the memorial bench is the responsibility of the City. If a plaque must be replaced due to vandalism or theft, the replacement will be carried out by the City, but it is the responsibility of the purchaser to arrange for and purchase a new plaque. Please contact the Public Works Department in this eventuality.
The placement of any mementoes (i.e. wreaths, flowers, vases, statues, etc.) in the vicinity of the memorial bench is not permitted.
It is not permitted to scatter remains of loved ones on public property.
No private dedication ceremony will be facilitated by the City and any such event must adhere to all City by-laws.
The bench remains public property and may not be reserved at any time.