Calgary’s five City cemeteries, Queen’s Park, Burnsland, Union, St Mary’s and Prairie Sky, are governed by the City of Calgary Cemeteries General Rules and Guidelines, made under the Parks and Pathways Bylaw 11M2019 and last revised in 2021. Those rules name bronze as an approved marker material, fix the maximum envelope for a flat marker at 42 by 18 by 4 inches on a full lot and 24 by 18 by 4 inches on a cremation lot, and close the installation season from September 30 to May 1. This page sets out the rules, the City’s price list as it stood when fetched in October 2026, and what the private and Catholic cemeteries do not publish. We cast the bronze to your approved size in our free online designer and ship it; the granite base that gives the marker its 4 inch thickness is arranged in Calgary through the cemetery office or a monument dealer.
Design a bronze plaque for a Calgary cemetery
Type the bronze size that fits inside the City’s envelope, add the names and dates, choose lugs for a granite base, and the price in Canadian dollars appears. Free proof before casting.
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Which rules apply at the City of Calgary cemeteries
The General Rules and Guidelines define a “Marker” or “Flat Marker” as “a memorial constructed of bronze, marble or granite or other approved material for memorial purposes placed on any Burial Lot set level to the surrounding ground in the Marker/Monument Space”. Rule 73 repeats that all markers and monuments “shall be of granite, marble, non-sedimentary stone, bronze or other like material approved by the Cemeteries Lead/Administrator”. Bronze needs no special permission as a material; what needs permission is the design, the size and the timing.
Two rules shape every bronze order. Rule 74 requires all new standalone foundations to be granite and at least 4 inches (10 cm) thick, and Rule 89 states that “All Monuments and Markers must be a minimum of 4″ (10cm) thick”. A cast bronze plaque is nowhere near 4 inches on its own, so in Calgary it is fixed to a granite base that brings the whole unit to the minimum. No monument projecting above ground is allowed in a designated Flat Marker section, and the green burial lots take no individual memorialisation at all.
Sizes and thickness
Rule 88 gives the maximum size “including foundation” for a single full size burial lot. Because the figure includes the base, the bronze itself must be smaller by the margin the cemetery or your dealer wants around the plaque.
| Section | Maximum envelope including foundation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Marker Section and Foot Marker | 42 x 18 x 4 inches (106 x 46 x 10 cm) | Single full size lot |
| Cremation Flat | 24 x 18 x 4 inches (61 x 46 x 10 cm) | |
| Infant Flat | 24 x 18 x 4 inches (61 x 46 x 10 cm) | |
| Field of Honour | 20 x 12 x 4 inches (51 x 30 x 10 cm) | Stanstead Grey granite |
A 22 by 12 inch bronze on a 28 by 16 inch granite base fits the full lot comfortably, and a 20 by 10 inch bronze on a 24 by 14 inch base fits the cremation and infant envelopes with 2 inches of granite around the plaque. The rules set no bronze thickness or relief height, so the 4 inch figure is a base requirement rather than a casting requirement.
Approval, permit and the delivery season
Memorialisation of any burial lot must be approved by the Cemeteries Lead/Administrator (Rule 76); no person may erect a monument or marker “until the design and description has been approved by the Cemeteries Management Lead and a permit for the erection of such Monument has been issued” (Rule 85); and nothing may be delivered until the foundation is complete and all permits are in hand (Rules 79 and 83). Send the written proof we give you to the office with the permit application before the plaque is cast, and hold the approved permit before it ships.
Rule 81 states that “Due to winter conditions, installation of Markers may not occur from September 30th to May 1st”, and Rule 82 bars delivery in the same period without prior approval. A plaque ordered after late August will usually be set in May. The rules do not say whether a family may apply directly or a monument dealer must; ask the Queen’s Park office, which handles permits for all five cemeteries.
The City price list and what it does not say
The City publishes one price list page for its cemeteries. It prints no effective year, so we give the figures as current when fetched in October 2026 and advise reconfirming them; the page says prices are subject to change without notice and subject to GST. The Monument Permission Fee is $225.00 and Installation of Flat Marker is $450.00 (price list fetched October 2026).
Those are the City’s charges for its part of the work. They do not include the granite base or the fixing of the bronze to it, which a Calgary dealer prices separately, and they do not include the bronze. In our designer a 20 by 10 inch plaque is $1,759.60 and a 22 by 12 inch plaque is $2,118.74, shipping included, so you can add the City’s fees and a local base quote to see the full cost of the marker.
Niches, crypts and the bronze the City sells itself
Rule 115 reserves one category to the City: only the City may inscribe niche fronts “or install all bronze lettering, bronze vases, bronze adornments, bronze emblems, and ceramic or photoplex pictures within bronze frames on Crypt fronts”. If your family member rests in a Queen’s Park crypt or a City columbarium, the plaque comes from the City and we do not sell for those settings.
The rules do not, however, reserve the supply of flat markers for burial lots to the City. A bronze plaque on a granite base that meets the 4 inch rule, fits your section’s envelope and carries an approved permit appears acceptable, and that is what we make. For a plaque in a Calgary park or garden outside the cemetery system, see garden plaques and outdoor pet memorial plaques; no cemetery rule applies.
Private and Catholic cemeteries in Calgary
Eden Brook Memorial Gardens, Mountain View Memorial Gardens, Rocky View Garden of Peace and the Catholic cemeteries serving Calgary publish no marker regulations and no fee schedules that can be read online. St Mary’s now appears on the City price list, which suggests it runs under the City rules above, but confirm that with the office. For the others, ask in writing whether a family supplied bronze plaque is permitted on your section, the maximum bronze size and the required base size and thickness, who sets it, the fees with the year of the price list, and the delivery months.
Designing the bronze for a Calgary base
We supply the bronze only. The plaque is cast in solid LG2 statuary bronze with raised polished lettering on a textured background, in any size up to 22 1/16 by 15 3/4 inches (560 by 400 mm), and for a lawn marker you choose lugs with studs so the plaque bolts into the granite with nothing visible on the face. The base, the fixing and the delivery are arranged through a Calgary monument dealer or the cemetery office, and the City sets the finished unit. Give the dealer the plaque’s exact outside dimensions from the proof so the granite is cut with the margin the office expects. A 12 by 8 inch plaque is $996.08 in the designer and suits an added name on an existing granite marker. See bronze memorial plaques for borders and emblems, cemetery plaques for lawn layouts, and the Alberta page for the provincial law behind the City rules.
Our bronze plaque prices for Calgary, delivery included
Here is what the plaque costs from us. These are the design tool’s own prices on 14 October 2026 for a plain rectangle with the default border and background, in Canadian dollars, and delivery anywhere in Calgary is already included in each one.
| Size, inches (mm) | Typical use | Our price, delivery included |
|---|---|---|
| 6 x 4 in (152 x 102 mm) | Name and dates on a small cremation plot, urn or pet memorial | $478.72 |
| 8 x 6 in (203 x 152 mm) | Cremation garden plaque or a short dedication on a bench or wall | $674.98 |
| 10 x 8 in (254 x 203 mm) | Cremation lot marker with a line of wording or an emblem | $889.05 |
| 12 x 8 in (305 x 203 mm) | Single lawn marker with name, dates and a line of wording | $996.08 |
| 16 x 12 in (406 x 305 mm) | Single grave marker with an emblem, or a companion cremation marker | $1,580.02 |
| 18 x 12 in (457 x 305 mm) | Larger single marker or a dedication plaque with several lines | $1,759.60 |
| 20 x 10 in (508 x 254 mm) | The 20 by 10 inch flat marker size many municipal cemeteries list | $1,759.60 |
| 22 x 12 in (559 x 305 mm) | Companion marker or wide single marker inside a 24 inch envelope | $2,118.74 |
| 22 1/16 x 15 3/4 in (560 x 400 mm) | The largest size the designer makes, for double markers and dedication tablets | $2,456.76 |
The cemetery fees described above are paid to the cemetery office and are not part of these prices, so the full cost of a finished marker is our plaque price plus the cemetery’s setting, permit or foundation charges. Enter your cemetery’s size in the design tool and it shows the price for that exact size straight away.
How to order
- Ask the cemetery office for its marker specification: the maximum size, the base it requires and the form it needs signed. Most offices email it the same day.
- Open the free design tool, pick the shape and set the size in inches or centimetres. The price in Canadian dollars updates as you go.
- Add the wording, choose a border and background, and add an emblem, motif or photo if you want one. Choose lugs with studs if the plaque will be bolted to a granite or concrete base, or a flat back for adhesive mounting.
- Save the design and order it from My Account. We send a written proof that you can forward to the cemetery for approval, and nothing is cast until you approve it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the City of Calgary accept bronze grave markers?
Yes. The General Rules define a marker as a memorial of bronze, marble or granite set level with the ground, and Rule 73 lists bronze among approved materials. The marker including its granite foundation must be at least 4 inches thick, fit the envelope for the section and be approved and permitted before delivery.
What size can a flat bronze marker be in Calgary?
The maximum including foundation is 42 by 18 by 4 inches (106 by 46 by 10 cm) on a full lot, 24 by 18 by 4 inches (61 by 46 by 10 cm) on cremation and infant lots and 20 by 12 by 4 inches in the Field of Honour. The bronze is smaller to leave granite around it.
What does Calgary charge to install a flat marker?
The City price list shows a Monument Permission Fee of $225.00 and Installation of Flat Marker of $450.00, plus GST, as fetched in October 2026. The page prints no effective year, so confirm the figures with the Queen’s Park office.
When can a marker be installed in Calgary?
Between May 1 and September 30. Rule 81 bars marker installation from September 30 to May 1 because of winter conditions, and Rule 82 bars deliveries in the same period without prior approval.
Can I order a bronze plaque for a niche or crypt at Queen’s Park?
No. Rule 115 allows only the City to inscribe niche fronts and to install bronze lettering, emblems, vases and plaques on crypt fronts. Those plaques are bought from the Cemeteries office.
How long does a bronze plaque take in Calgary?
Allow about four to six weeks from payment to delivery. Casting and hand finishing take most of that time, and we send a free written proof before anything is cast. If your cemetery only sets markers in the frost free season, order early enough for the spring installation window.
Design the plaque to Calgary’s envelope
Enter the bronze size that leaves room for granite inside the City’s limit, add your wording and emblem, and see the price in Canadian dollars. Free proof to send with the permit application.
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