Surrey council to consider building dedicated Fraser River ash-scattering pier – BC [Video]

Surrey City Council is slated to formally consider plans to build a designated ash-scattering pier on the Fraser River.

The city already has an ash-scattering garden, but many cultures view scattering ashes into moving water as a crucial part of laying loved ones to rest.

Jay Minhas, a founding member of the Guru Nanak Food Bank, said an aquatic site is particularly important for many South Asian faiths, including for Hindus and Sikhs.

“This is the last ritual when you leave this world, to show respect, because water is very, very important in South Asian culture and tradition,” he said.

“They want the final ashes to be part of the water because everything came from Mother Nature, it goes back to Mother Nature.”

Surrey city staff have recommended the construction of a designated pier on the Fraser, either at Brownsville Bar Park or at the Surrey Public Wharf.

The city …