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Bruce's website for the Empress Cemetery     July 8 is the 110 anniversary of the Cemetery

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Empress, Alberta, Canada

Empress, Alberta is right on the border with Saskatchewan,
and the Empress Cemetery is in Saskatchewan.

The Empress Cemetery is owned and operated by The Village of Empress.
They have limited funds for maintenance, and their policy is that maintenance of graves is up to the families of the deceased.
Empress Cemetery Bylaw (2018-08): On the Village website, or here.
Click here for volunteer work
in the cemetery.

aka What is Bruce doin' there?
This website (EmpressCemetery.ca), is not associated with The Village of Empress. Empress Cemetery History
Obscure locations in the area around Empress Cemetery

GPS Coordinates: 50.922367, -109.981017
SE¼ of 01-04-23-29-W3
Google Maps
Android Phone
Apple Maps
iPhone link
what3words
(///escaped.amid.custody)
OpenStreetMap
Directions below

Maps & Directories

These are PDF files with clickable links.
ItemRelease DatePagesPage Size
Overview Map2025-May-121Letter (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Map - North Side2025-Jun-271146 x 99 cm
Map - South Side2025-Jun-271146 x 148 cm
Full Directory2025-Jun-272593.5 x 27.94 cm
Basic Directory2025-Jun-2713Letter (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
The Full Directory and the Big Maps contain links that
lead to individual pages containing my research on that person.
Link:More Info
The purpose for my pages on each person is to give links for a variety
of places on the Internet that has information for the person, because
Find a Grave does not allow any links except to their own website,
and Ancestry is pay only.  My website doesn't have such limitations.

I will add more as my research continues.

Find a Grave® - I post the photos & information to the individual memorial pages on the Find a Grave® website for the Empress Cemetery, and linking family members when I can.
Ancestry® - I created "Empress Cemetery" Tree on Ancestry® to keep track of my research on the people as well as their immediate families not in the Empress Cemetery.  Links for individuals are in the Full Directory and my Individual pages here.  Those who are in the cemetery have the Tag "In Cemetery" In Cemetery.  This Tree is publically available to those with a paid Ancestry® account.

Empress Cemetery Overview Map, 2025-05-12.pdf  Satellite graves area, with columns

Columns, Plots and Sub-plots

Columns run north-south.  Each individual square is a Plot and inside it are Sub-plots (or graves).  The Plot numbers start in the south on the east side of the column, counting up going north.  When reaching the farthest north in the column, turns around and continues counting up going south on the west side of the column.  So the south end of the columns have both the first Plot number (1), and the highest Plot number just to the west of Plot 1.

Each grave is 10 feet long (east-west), and 5 feet wide (north-south).  Walkways are 6 feet wide.
These are all "ideal" measurements.  The real measurements, and even the exact placement of a grave, can be a little "off" from the plan.

Each grave has a designation label in the form of # - # - #
In the example of 10-24-2:
10 is the Column
24 is the Plot
2 is the Sub-plot/Grave
Sub-plot/Grave "M" means middle, when a grave can only be described as being in-between other graves.
Sub-plot/Grave "W" means walkway, when a grave was placed in a walkway.

Sub-plot labeling
Large Plot, Sub-plot labeling Large Plots are 20 feet to a side and contain 8 graves.  All have the same Sub-plot/Grave labeling scheme.
Middle-sized Plot, Sub-plot labeling Middle-sized Plots are 20 feet east-west and 10 feet north-south, containing 4 graves.  All have the same Sub-plot/Grave labeling scheme.  They are only at the south ends of columns 1, 2, 3.
Small Plot, Sub-plot labeling Small Plots are 10 feet to a side and contain 2 graves.  They have a different Sub-plot/Grave labeling scheme, depending on whether the Plot is on the east side of the Column, or the west side of the Column.  Here is an example of the south end of a Column, where the Plot numbers are 1, 2, 49, 50.

Links

This website:
Empress Cemetery History
Volunteer work in the Cemetery aka What is Bruce doin' there?
Obscure locations in the area around Empress Cemetery
 
Elsewhere:
Empress Cemetery on the Village of Empress website.
Empress Cemetery on the Find a Grave® website
The Empress Express was a newspaper that was published in Empress between 1913-1936.
Find Birth, Marriage and Death Records: Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia.
Search historical Canada Census.
Search the Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB)

Directions

The directions map I made a few years ago:  Cemetery directions
An annotated satellite map of the cemetery:  Cemetery map annotated
The sped-up dashcam video I made of the Drive from
Empress to Empress Cemetery, Alberta, Canada:
 YouTube Video
GPS Coordinates: 50.922367, -109.981017
SE¼ of 01-04-23-29-W3
Google Maps
Android Phone
Apple Maps
iPhone link
what3words
(///escaped.amid.custody)
OpenStreetMap
Directions below

Bruce A. Johnson - Empress, Alberta, Canada            0738