The Canadian investors interested in building the first crematorium in the country have made progress in their talks with the government.

The Cabinet has announced that it is examining a detailed plan submitted by the three Toronto-based women with Antiguan heritage.

The entrepreneurs are eager to help ease the pressure on the public cemeteries in their parents’ birthplace.

They have a combined experience of twenty years in the industry and are willing to invest any amount of capital required to make their plan a reality. There was confusion over their intentions in recent days due to conflicting statements made by government officials.

However, the women have refuted the claims that they are not willing to invest their own funds and that they have not submitted an official proposal. The Cabinet has now been informed that the investors are ready to invest $3.5 million in the project.

The women’s plan includes building a crematorium, a garden, a chapel, and a nice place where urns can be kept. The government of Antigua and Barbuda will support the investors if they decide to go forward with the plan.

Shelley Challenger, Minnelle Williams, and Shari Yearwood are committed to creating a top-notch crematorium in Antigua that will offer local families more options when bidding their final farewells.

The women also plan to educate the public about cremation, which some may find distasteful initially.

According to Cabinet spokesman Lionel Hurst, crematoriums have become an “absolute necessity” in island countries with limited land space.

Due to the expanding population, Antigua experiences up to ten deaths a week, and there is a dire lack of space to bury people.

The two main cemeteries of St John’s and Bolans have been full to capacity for some time.

Hurst added that the solution to the problem lies in crematoriums since Antigua and Barbuda cannot use all available land space for the disposal of human remains.

Before the plans can be finalized, there must be a legal amendment allowing cremation in the country, which will be presented in Parliament soon.