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Mount Vernon Columbarium

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The complex in 2014

Mount Vernon Columbarium was a columbarium complex on Mount Vernon, Singapore. Built in 1962 as a crematorium, the columbarium closed in 2018 to make way for future redevelopments in the upcoming Bidadari housing estate, with plans for a new funeral parlour complex to be completed by 2025.

History

Plans for a new crematorium in the area were first announced in 1954, which was to be built on either Mount Vernon or on Lornie Road overlooking MacRitchie Reservoir.[1] The site on Mount Vernon was previously a multi-religious burial ground.[2] Mount Vernon was selected as the site of the crematorium in May, and was built later that year.[3] The crematorium, known as the Mount Vernon Crematorium, was completed in October 1962, and only had one service hall, holding around four cremations a week.[4] Plans for a $500,000 expansion of the crematorium were announced in May 1974 due to the increasing popularity of cremation.[5] The extension was completed in May 1975, and cost $250,000.[6]

Plans were also made in 1974 to build a columbarium with 3,000 niches.[7] The first phase of the project would comprise fifteen blocks, each containing 200 niches.[8] The columbarium opened in 1976, with only 161 niches occupied in the first year.[9] Two funeral parlours and embalming rooms were opened in April 1978 due to the lack of space for funerals in public housing estates. The complex cost $300,000 to build, and was open to people of any religion.[10] In 1978, it cost $30 to cremate the body of a child, and $15 for the bodies of those below the age of 15.[11] In December 1979, it was announced that all of the graves in the Tan Tock Seng Hospital burial ground would be exhumed for cremation at the crematorium.[12]

Plans to expand the columbarium, adding five new clsuters of columbaria containing 7,920 additional niches for storing urns containing ashes were announced on 1 November 1981 by then Minister for the Environment Ong Pang Boon.[13][14] The expansion had been partially completed by January 1983, with 704 more niches ready for use.[15] The extension cost $1.1 million, and added 5,280 more niches to the columbarium.[16] The ability for families to choose which niches they preferred was implemented on 23 December 1983, as some families considered lower niches to be "unfavourable" as they might be touched by brooms while sweeping and might attract more dust.[17][18] Another extension began construction in June 1985 and ended in September, comprising two clusters of columbaria, adding 2,112 single niches.[19] An extension, which was completed in November 1987, comprised a two-level "church-style" building and a nine-storey Chinese pagoda, and added 13,230 more niches.[20][21][22] The pagoda mainly housed niches for Buddhists and Taoists, while the "Church-style" building mainly housed niches for Christians.[23]

Twenty-two funeral parlours were opened in January 2004, which were equipped with multiple facilities, such as DVD machines, amplifiers, speakers, sofa sets, flat-screen TV sets, and kitchenettes. The parlours were operated by Casket Fairprice, a funeral services provider.[24]

In February 2003, the Urban Redevelopment Authority announced that Mount Vernon Columbarium, along with Bidadari Cemetery, would be closed in 2005 to make way for future residential developments in the area. The complex would be replaced by a complex in Mandai, which would be ready in early 2004.[25][26][27] By then, the new complex would be the only operating crematorium.[28] In May, it was announced that the crematorium in the complex would close on 30 June 2004.[29][30] The crematorium in Mandai opened on 1 July, replacing Mount Vernon as the only operating crematorium.[31]

In September 2013, the National Environment Agency announced that the columbarium complex would be demolished to make way for future residential development in the area, as well as Bidadari Park,[32] and would be replaced by the Mount Vernon Funeral Parlour, which was smaller in size.[33] The columbarium was to close after all of the niches had either been relocated to either Choa Chu Kang Columbarium or the Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium.[34] The claim and registration process for the niches began on 28 October 2015.[35] In April 2015, the funeral parlours had their leases extended by two years.[36] The leases were further extended to March 2018 in December 2016.[37][38] On 9 January 2018, the National Environment Agency announced that the new funeral parlour would begin construction in the second half of 2021, and would be operational by 2024.[39][40][41] The columbarium would close in September, causing there to be twenty percent fewer funeral halls available in Singapore.[42] The completion date of the new funeral parlour complex was later delayed to 2015.[43]

Mount Vernon Columbarium closed on 30 September 2018.[4]

References

  1. ^ "A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH". The Straits Times. Singapore. 15 April 1954. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Final resting place". The Straits Times. Singapore. 20 May 2008.
  3. ^ "Site picked for S'pore crematorium". The Singapore Free Press. Singapore. 31 May 1954. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b Wong, Pei Ting (8 September 2018). "The rise and demise of Mount Vernon Columbarium". today. Singapore. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  5. ^ Holmberg, Judith (21 May 1974). "More crematoriums will be set up by the govt". New Nation. Singapore. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. ^ "More city burial grounds to make way for growth". The Straits Times. Singapore. 30 April 1975. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  7. ^ "S'POREANS URGED TO CREMATE THE DEAD". The Straits Times. Singapore. 27 July 1974. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Cremation gaining ground here". New Nation. Singapore. 9 October 1975. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  9. ^ Goh, Serene (5 July 2004). "Passing on - Last cremation at Mount Vernon". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  10. ^ Wong, Moh Keed (1 April 1978). "Funeral parlours at crematorium ready next week". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  11. ^ Wang, Look Keah (3 August 1978). "Deadly cost of dying". The Business Times. Singapore. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  12. ^ "HOSPITAL GRAVES TO BE EXHUMED". The Straits Times. Singapore. 24 December 1979. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Another 7,900 niches for ashes of dead". The Straits Times. Singapore. 2 November 1981. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  14. ^ "More urn space". New Nation. Singapore. 4 November 1981. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  15. ^ "704 more niches ready for use at columbarium". The Straits Times. Singapore. 6 January 1983. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  16. ^ "More ash space at Mount Vernon". The Straits Times. Singapore. 7 March 1983. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Families like 'right' niche for the dead". The Straits Times. Singapore. 23 December 1983. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Now you can choose your own niche in columbarium". The Singapore Monitor. Singapore. 22 December 1983. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Mt Vernon columbaria extension ready in September". The Straits Times. Singapore. 31 July 1985. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  20. ^ Ngai, Chee Wah (22 November 1987). "A pagoda dedicated to the dead". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  21. ^ "9-storey pagoda for keeping ashes of the dead". The Straits Times (Overseas Ed). Singapore. 28 November 1987. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  22. ^ Wong, Pei Ting (8 September 2018). "The Big Read: In memoriam — Mount Vernon, a sanctuary which provided both comfort and chills". today. Singapore. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  23. ^ Lim, Allison; Teh, Jen Lee (17 May 1998). "Families prefer space in columbaria". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  24. ^ Ng, Desmond (9 January 2004). "Funeral parlour that's like new bungalow". The New Paper. Singapore.
  25. ^ Wong, Shermaine (17 February 2003). "Mount Vernon has to go". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  26. ^ "Mt Vernon complex to go". Streats. Singapore. 17 February 2003.
  27. ^ Lau, Fook Kong (22 February 2003). "Mount Vernon has to go". The Straits Times: Weekly Overseas Edition. Singapore.
  28. ^ Teo, Meng Joo (1 March 2003). "The last of its kind". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  29. ^ "Mount Vernon to close". Streats. Singapore. 28 May 2004.
  30. ^ Teh, Joo Lin (28 May 2004). "Last funeral at Mount Vernon on June 30". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  31. ^ "New crematorium to replace Mt Vernon". The New Paper. Singapore. 27 June 2004.
  32. ^ Au-Yong, Rachel (17 January 2018). "Death and renewal for iconic Mount Vernon". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  33. ^ Poon, Chian Hui (2 September 2013). "21,000 Mt Vernon niches to make way for Bidadari estate". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  34. ^ Tan, Theresa (19 October 2014). "Death knell for Mount Vernon Columbarium Complex's funeral parlours?". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  35. ^ Lee, Min Kok (28 October 2015). "Process for claiming and registration of Mount Vernon Columbarium niches starts Oct 28: NEA". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  36. ^ Tan, Theresa (5 April 2015). "Mount Vernon parlours get two more years". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  37. ^ Lin, Melissa (14 December 2016). "Leases for Mt Vernon halls extended". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  38. ^ Mokhtar, Faris (12 December 2016). "Funeral parlours at Mount Vernon Columbarium granted lease extensions". today. Singapore. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  39. ^ Au-Yong, Rachel (10 January 2018). "New funeral parlour to replace Mount Vernon Columbarium". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  40. ^ Mokhtar, Faris (9 January 2018). "Time runs out for Mount Vernon funeral parlours in Sept; new complex to be built in 2024". today. Singapore. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  41. ^ Au-Yong, Rachel (14 January 2018). "New funeral parlour complex to replace Mount Vernon to be smaller with more wake halls". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  42. ^ Au-Yong, Rachel (14 January 2018). "Closure of Mount Vernon will leave Singapore with 20 per cent fewer funeral halls". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  43. ^ "Design consultancy tender awarded for new funeral parlour complex in Bidadari". Channel NewsAsia. Singapore. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
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