I deal with approx. 500 edits a week and have processed over 68,000 edits to date.

I will not spend my volunteer time looking for something that you have already found or guess where you found it. When submitting edits please follow the Find A Grave best practice and guidelines below.

SENDING SUGGEST EDITS AND NOTES - Best Practice suggested by Find-a-Grave

please see: https://support.findagrave.com/s/article/Suggest-Edits-Overview

When I view the submitted edits list, the only photos that are displayed are graves, so I don't know that you may have added a photo.

Therefore, I request that you use the "Suggest Edits" button to send your researched correction(s) or additional information in the "Notes" field at the very bottom of the edit form. I would prefer that you do not put it in the Bio field as putting it in the "Notes" field keeps the source info with the suggested edit FOREVER! Remember other members can now edit the bio field. If I happen to miss a bio edit, being on vacation etc., I will always have the accepted edit note to check. Also, as per Find A Grave "source information does not belong in the Bio field". I do not have Ancestry, so please make sure I can access the source on a (no account needed) public site.

PLEASE include the province or state of the death, marriage or birth along with the registration NUMBER, not just the link, as a primary source. BC Vital Stats website https://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy

The reason that the number is so important is that BC Stats re-designed their website 3 times in the last 15 years and the links changed each time that happened. The registration number never changes. I also need the BC registration number to forward any corrections to the Cemetery office.

The NOTES field can contain something as simple as:

"Please see obituary (include the link, as I do have newspapers.com)."

"Edits as per headstone photo."

"Please see obit on (memorial ID) record"

"Please look at brothers' (memorial ID) for details"

"Info from Census (link)" note that census data only will not be accepted unless you provide a second source from above.

For Military edits please supply service number (or VAC link if an officer).

If there is no source information or they are not verifiable by me the edits could be declined.

Please note that submitting only "Canada, British Columbia, Death Registrations, 1872-1986; 1992-1993" or referencing a local or family history book in the notes field is insufficient.

Please do not submit date edits based only on the headstone, as dates on the headstone are often incorrect, back it up with a source document.

From Google search regarding WikiTree and FamilySearch.

WikiTree: is a secondary source and is not considered reliably authoritative on its own. Like all shared family trees, WikiTree contains user-submitted data, meaning it is second-hand information and not an original record. Always independently verify any birth, marriage, or death claim by checking primary sources like census data, vital statistics, or wills.

FamilySearch: Run by a nonprofit, it offers free access to billions of historical records and a massive global database. Note that it uses a single, collaborative "world tree" model, meaning other users can edit shared ancestor profiles.

NOTE - I received several mass transfers (via Find-a-Grave from previous managers at their request) of memorials in several cemeteries in the Vancouver, BC area. I would like to thank these members for their prior research and entrusting me with these records.

Please do not submit edits based solely on what is currently in the bio. Also, there may have been auto approved edits to the record. Always submit the original document source info as stated above. Thank you :-)

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MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY, Vancouver, BC (Find A Grave Cemetery ID 1968309)

Information and Background

THE MVC OFFICIAL WEBSITE is continually correcting their online listings from their paper records. The link can be found on the Find-a-Grave home page for this cemetery. They update the website every Monday morning and I am trying my best to keep up with the edits. Information from any other website is not legitimate.

It is important to follow the exact plot listing on the official MVC website so the Find-a-Grave plot SEARCH and SORT features can work properly. This allows you to see who is buried near them. It also allows you to print a list of the area you wish to photograph in perfect order.

For example: you are going to photograph "HORNE2-____" enter under the More Search Options in the Plot field "HORNE2-" and then sort by plot.

The circular concrete disks with numbers on them are located at the foot of the grave, so the headstone for that disk would be approximately 7 feet away from where the disk is located.

All the headstones that were due to be placed at Mountain View Cemetery that have "No marker, a headstone has been ordered and should be placed summer/fall of 2021." in the Grave Details field have been DELAYED due to Covid.

FYI - The Vancouver Crematorium is located inside the grounds of Mountain View Cemetery and many funeral homes referred to it as the "Mountain View Crematorium". Being cremated at the "Vancouver Crematorium" does not mean buried at Mountain View Cemetery. To understand the difference between the crematorium and the cemetery please go to the home page for the Vancouver Crematorium. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2478795/vancouver-crematorium

There are also five other Mountain View Cemeteries in British Columbia, Canada:

1. Mountain View Cemetery, Trail, Cemetery Id 2217362
2. Mountain View Cemetery, Duncan, Cemetery Id 639366
3. Mountain View Cemetery, Revelstoke, Cemetery Id 2349891
4. Mountain View Cemetery, Groundbirch, Cemetery Id 2581773
5. Mountain View Cemetery, Horsefly, Cemetery Id 2571778

Also, there is a Mountain View Crematorium in Abbotsford, BC, Canada.

Achievements as of Apr 2026:

• My plot locations, and the majority of other members, now have the official MVC location.
• Merged duplicate records - approx. 2,550
• Added missing records - approx. 8,400
• Resolved over 550 MVC listings that had no full DOD or DOI that was causing them not to display the name of person interred at that location.
• Identified over 500 memorials that were Disinterred or Internment Cancelled
• All Veterans in the Fields of Honour without headstones have been identified and marker applications have been submitted.
•  Submitted corrections to the City of Vancouver MVC official website - over 21,000
• Submitted to Find A Grave all GPS data available for existing memorials provided by Mountainview Cemetery office on Apr 10, 2026. Find A Grave uploaded the GPS data on Apr 17, 2026.

GROUP INTERMENT OF UNCLAIMED CREMAINS

If you see in the Grave Details field "DOI (date), group of cremains all interred on the same day in the same plot." it means that they were cremated and could have died anytime (and anywhere) before the interment date.

For the majority of these unclaimed cremains, it is impossible to verify the DOD, as MVC received only a list of names for interment. Some of these might be babies and there may not be a listing in BC Stats for them. There are only 27 names with a date of cremation on file.

No matter how unique you think a name is… it never is!!!

Corrected 38 records so far, that were in a mass burial area, when I found them to be buried elsewhere.

Each plot has a maximum capacity, and cremains are added to the plot until full. Meaning that the number of people in that plot could increase in the future. As of Aug 2024, there are over 7,000 people interred in these areas. Therefore, it is best not to state any numbers of people interred in a plot. Also, numbers can change as MVC corrects duplicates and adds records that were missed during the scanning process back in 2008. Only a very few of these interments have headstones and they do not allow any more to be placed.

Please Note: Just because someone was cremated at Vancouver Crematorium and was a Social Services case does not mean they are buried in any of the MVC mass interment areas. Many of these social service cases were sent to different cemeteries in the greater Vancouver area.

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BOAL CHAPEL MEMORIAL GARDENS, North Vancouver, BC (Find A Grave Cemetery ID 2215339)

Information and Background

This is a cremation only cemetery and there are no in-ground burial plots. It contains Memorial Shutters, Stone Memorial Books, Curb Plaques and Memory Boards (for ashes that were scattered), Cremation Niche walls, Columbarium's and Cremation Vaults.

I started a new project in the Spring of 2024 when only about 900 records existed in Boal Chapel Memorial Gardens. I photographed it top to bottom. There are now over 15,500 records (90% having photos). I took high resolution photos, and I added the overall photos at the time. As I work on each record in more detail, I add the higher resolution photo of the actual interment. Therefore, there is no need to add a photo request and have some else go and get one.

FYI - When you upload a spread sheet to Find A Grave you can not include place of birth or death. This information I have and will be adding.

Also, there are many listings for similar names and that will be sorted out when I finish adding all the records. Some may be half ashes in two locations.

Please note that many non-Veterans are buried in the Veteran's Garden.

NOTE: If the death certificate states "North Shore Crematorium, First Memorial Services" it does not mean interment at Boal Chapel Memorial Gardens.

North Shore Crematorium only means that is where they were cremated and they could be interred anywhere. Many smaller communities on the coast did not have a crematorium and they were shipped out to be cremated.

North Shore Crematorium no longer exists.

Also, The Memorial Society of BC and First Memorial Services are located throughout British Columbia.

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MISCELLANEOUS

WW 1 Attestation Papers

The DOB is often incorrect. I have seen date of birth off by 10 years. Soldiers wanted to qualify for service by either lowering or increasing their age to meet the 18 to 30 age limits.

WW 1 Facts

• World War 1 began on July 28, 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
• The Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918 that ended the fighting but not the War.
• June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles officially ended World War 1 between the Allied powers and Germany.

Using WW 1 vs WW I

I use a standard format in biographies to keep information clear, consistent, and easy to find. Using "WW 1" and "WW 2" clearly distinguishes the two conflicts and produces more accurate search results. For example, searching for "WWI" can also return references to "WWII," whereas this format helps users find the correct records more quickly.

Gravesite Details Field

Find-a-Grave definition: "Details specific to grave MARKER or SITE (i.e. description, condition, history, significance of symbols)"

I use this field to add DOI (Date of Interment) which by the above definition is history of the site. The DOI can be years after the death, as some cremains are kept by the family, so never assume the year of death is the same as the DOI.

Cemeteries will have the DOI as they are required to record it. They may not have the date of death, so the DOI is useful to know because they died before that date.

I do not state if it was a Burial or Cremation because sometimes the death certificate states Burial and the plans changed and they were cremated instead. Also, Burial can change to Cremation. Many original burials get exhumed, cremated, and reinterred in the same plot or somewhere else.

May 2026 - switching the "DOI" to "Date Interred" and using the same date format that Find A Grave uses for DOB and DOD. This is because several members complained about not knowing what DOI meant and also there is a limit on the GD field of 250 characters. I ran into problems with using "Date of Interment".

Suggested Best Practice:

I believe it is important to add the date of when a grave location was observed with no marker, as headstones get placed all the time. For instance, one spouse dies and is interred with no marker, when the other passes and is interred, a marker gets placed. Therefore, I have been adding to the Grave Details field "no marker as per photo posted on (date)".

Transfers

I will follow Find-a-Grave guidelines. However, I have had many many requests that turned out that they were NOT who they were looking for. So please, ask me to update the record first, then ask for a transfer.

Virtual cemeteries are the way to "gather" your ancestors together.

https://support.findagrave.com/s/article/Virtual-Cemeteries

Multi Last Names

I prefer not to accept edits to add previous married names in the last name field even though Find-a-Grave allows this as "Optional".

You have one legal last name at Birth.

You have one legal last name at Death.

I believe that previous names and associated marriages should be noted in the biography field. Which now can be searched.

Also, keeping only the legal last name at death helps me match the listing from the cemetery.

Female Middle Name Same As Maiden

If you see a record with her maiden name also listed as part of her name at death this is NOT a mistake.

Many times, when a lady marries, she will add her maiden name to her new legal name. This can take many forms, adding it as a middle name, hyphening last name or prefixing last name.

Babies

Note: BC Vital Statistics does not enter age in months, so "Age 0" means "less than a year". You have your 1st birthday at 365 days and then you will be age 1 year.

Babies under 2 years of age are no longer available on the BC death registration website. Therefore, there is no way of knowing how old any baby is, unless the actual DOB and DOD are listed on a headstone or cemetery website. So please do not suggest year of birth for babies here in British Columbia, Canada unless you are a close family member. You may find info on another website an approximate DOB, but I will not accept the edit. For instance, if that website has age 0 and died Aug 1945 all that means is the baby is less that a year old and could be stillborn or born 364 days earlier in 1944.

Update Jan 2025: Some listings are now showing in BC stats. However, I have not found one with a JPG link yet.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1) What sources do you use?

I use the following sources to do my research and I do not copy and paste information posted on these sites as they are dynamic and corrections and updates have occurred and will continue in the future. Remember that these paper files have been transcribed by people and we all make mistakes. So, please don't post INDEX photos of these items on my records.

- Official cemetery websites

- Library and Archives Canada

- Canadian Virtual War Memorial

- Commonwealth War Graves Commission

- British Columbia Vital Statistics is found at the following link

https://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy

2) Why are there white crosses in your photos of headstones at Capilano View Cemetery?

In 1957, Joe Chamberlain, a South African Veteran, made and painted the first group of white crosses to mark Veterans' graves and these were placed on the morning of Remembrance Day. This practice of putting crosses on Veterans' graves, supplied by the Royal Canadian Legion West Vancouver Branch 60 continues today, however, they are placed approximately two weeks before November 11th. All Canadian Veterans and their Allies graves in Capilano View Cemetery are now marked with a cross at this time. The number of crosses needed has grown over the years. The cemetery staff and Legion members put up over 1,250 crosses in November 2020.

In 1960, the first Remembrance Ceremony at the cemetery took place on the morning of Remembrance Day at the Veterans' section in front of a flag pole. In 1963, this ceremony was changed to the afternoon of the Sunday before November 11th and continues to this day. The ceremony is now attended by the Branch Colour Party, Veterans, Branch Chaplain, firing party from the 6th Field Engineers, a trumpeter, pipers and the public.

3) What is a Privy Council Marker?

From 1922 to 1953 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission produced Veteran grave markers for Veterans Affairs Canada's Funeral and Burial Program. The authority was contained in a series of Privy Council Orders. After 1953 Veterans Affairs Canada manufactured its own Veteran grave markers.

The thing to note about the Privy Council markers is that they look exactly like a war grave marker having the Maple Leaf logo on it. The only way to tell they are not a war grave is to study the date of death carefully against the service. ie WW 1 Veteran dies during the period of WW 2.

C. Tremblay,Senior Officer, Canada Remembers Ottawa

Veterans Affairs Canada

4) What makes up the Metro Vancouver Area?

The Metro Vancouver region consists of the central City of Vancouver and many other incorporated municipalities. Together, they form the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

In Find A Grave to select the correct place just enter the name below followed by ", Metro" and the choice is there.

Major Cities

• Vancouver
• Surrey
• Burnaby
• Richmond
• Coquitlam
• New Westminster
• North Vancouver
• White Rock
• Port Coquitlam
• Port Moody
• Langley
• Maple Ridge
• Pitt Meadows
• Delta

Municipalities & Villages

• West Vancouver
• Bowen Island
• Lions Bay
• Anmore
• Belcarra

5) Why do I use the military prefix abbreviations?

I follow the original Library and Archives Canada Standard Military Abbreviations, from the old website https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/search.aspx. Their new website now spells them out https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/help/pffww

I have thousands of records that have the original abbreviations, and I will keep them that way. I am aware that Find A Grave now allows the full prefix and just because you can do something does not mean that it must be changed.

BDN - Bandsman

BQMS - Battery Quartermaster Sergeant

BSM - Battery Sergeant Major

BDR - Bombardier

BG - Brigadier General

CDT - Cadet

CPT - Captain

CHP - Chaplain

COL - Colonel

CSM - Company Sergeant Major

CON - Conductor

CPL - Corporal

DVR - Driver

GNR - Gunner

LCP - Lance Corporal

LSG - Lance Sergeant

LAC - Leading Aircraftman

LACW - Leading Aircraftwoman

LT - Lieutenant

LT CDR - Lieutenant Commander

LCL - Lieutenant Colonel

LGN - Lieutenant General

MAJ - Major

NS - Nursing Sister

ORS - O/R/Sergeant

PNR - Pioneer

PTE - Private (PVT is American)

QMS - Quartermaster Sergeant

RQMS - Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant

RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major

RFN - Rifleman

SPR - Sapper

SGT - Sergeant

S/SGT- Staff Sergeant

SM - Sergeant Major

SIG - Signaller

SSM - Staff Sergeant Major

TPR - Trooper

WO - Warrant Officer