Despite a continuing labour dispute, Montreal’s Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is reopening its gates for families on Mother's Day.
That means everything to one father who talked to CTV, but was too emotional to speak on the record. He said all he wants is to be able to visit his son's grave.
"They can come and think about the one that they loved. That's for me a win for the family because the cemetery should never be closed," said Eric Dufault, president of the union representing the cemetary's office workers.
Before people can visit, however, the cemetery needs to be cleared of branches that are still strewn about more than a month after the ice storm.
Although management proposed a truce in the days following the storm so that workers could return to the site to address the damage, the idea was rejected by the union.
"We're without a contract for almost five years now," said a second union president, Patrick Chartrand, who represents the outdoor workers. "When we get the new contract, we'll go back in and do everything that needs to be done."
Chartrand told CTV he has concerns about the public entering the grounds because of a lack of regular maintenance during the strike.
"There's many areas of the cemetery that are not accessible and dangerous. Hopefully, they'll warn people that the place is not really secured," Chartrand said.
No one in cemetery management responded to CTV's questions Wednesday.
