In Vulcan’s cemetery, a Star Trek fan’s love of the fictional universe is proclaimed for eternity.
Kathryn Elizabeth Larsen’s headstone, in the shape of a Starfleet insignia, reads: “A Trekker whose gone to the final frontier.”
Inspired by this headstone, the town of Vulcan is promoting the southern Alberta town and its annual Star Trek convention in a new way — auctioning off a grave plot in the cemetery.
“Maybe there’s other fans that would be interested in that,” said Chris Gauthier, the municipality’s community services manager. “It’s something to kind of throw out to try to see what happens. It’ll be talked about anyhow.”
Town officials are unsure how the idea, designed to “create a bit of a buzz,” will go over.
“We’ve had some people we’ve told about it who are very interested,” said Gauthier.
“It’s not something that most people think about, but there are some people that are very strong Trekkie philosophy people that might think that was a neat thing and bid on (the plot). Who knows?”
If the idea goes over well with Star Trek fans, Vulcan’s mayor raised the possibility that it could lead to Vulcan having a Star Trek themed columbarium in the cemetery one day.
“Some people don’t have family to speak of somewhere else, so this could give a good location” for their final resting place, he said.
Attendees of this year’s Star Trek convention, July 26-28, will be able to bid on the grave plot during either a live or silent auction on July 27. The minimum bid on the grave plot, which would cost local residents $495 and non-residents $660, is set at $500.
The municipality will put auction proceeds towards the costs associated with organizing the Star Trek convention, which provides an economic boost to local businesses.
“We have people coming from all over Canada,” said Gauthier, adding four or five Star Trek fans from Germany are also attending.
Vulcan’s 31st annual Star Trek convention features U.S. stuntwoman and actress Sandra Gimpel, who appeared in numerous Star Trek: The Original Series episodes, including playing a character affectionately known as the “Salt Vampire.” Also coming to Vulcan are Jonathan Del Arco, who played Hugh Borg on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Noelle Hannibal, who was in the movie Star Trek: First Contact, and Jens Dombek, “the German Spock.” Former Calgary Stampeder Jon Cornish, an avid Star Trek fan, has also been booked.