Muslims in Morden, a city in southern Manitoba’s Pembina Valley, will soon have a dedicated burial site at the newly developed Lakeside Cemetery — the second such site in the province after Winnipeg.

“This is very important,” Sk Rubaiyat Zaman, a director at Morden’s mosque, told CBC.

“Whenever death happens in the family, we have to send them to Winnipeg. It’s a very cumbersome and very lengthy procedure.”

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Over the past five years, Morden’s Muslim community has grown to nearly 150 families, including newcomers from Eritrea, India, and Somalia. Zaman, who arrived from Dhaka, Bangladesh, nearly four years ago, said the city’s welcoming nature has encouraged many to stay.

He recalled how the pandemic disrupted community life when his family arrived. “I always felt that need — like he didn’t see our culture, so that’s how it all started,” he said, referring to his young son.

With a local mosque that opened in November and a new burial site accommodating Islamic customs—such as graves facing the Kaaba in Makkah and separated from non-Muslim burials—Zaman says, “We now have the necessities for the heart close by.”

“If I want to build a generation here … this place is actually helping us do that,” he added.

The Pembina Valley Islamic Society, a newly formed nonprofit, collaborated with city officials to ensure the site met religious requirements. About 30 burial spots will be ready this year, eventually expanding to 78, along with a space for funeral prayers.

Syed Faizan Nasir, a director of the Pembina Valley Islamic Society, says the new mosque and cemetery are already helping to retain residents. Before, many prayed at home or work, or traveled to Winkler, 10 kilometers away.

“It was not very convenient for us, because … three prayers are during the work hours, right, so it is not possible to go.”

He added, “We have a couple of friends who were planning to move from here, and they decided not to move.”

The Islamic society hopes to gain charitable status and eventually build a permanent mosque in Morden.