Cremation Services

Cremation Services: What You Need To Know

For those considering how we would like to have our final remains handled, cremation services have become a more common option. 

Even though it may seem like more people are getting cremated, the choice is not always easy. It is a very personal decision that must be guided by your cultural and religious views as well as your feelings. 

Cremation Services: You Have Many Options

  • Hold a funeral with a viewing, with the cremation held after.
  • Have a funeral without a viewing, with the cremation to be held after.
  • Hold a memorial service at a traditional funeral home followed by an interment of the ashes.
  • Have a memorial service at an outside venue.
  • Scatter the ashes at a location with meaning to the deceased.

With so many options, planning in advance becomes all the more critical. This is especially true since how much your cremation will cost will be determined in large part by the type of service you have. For example, if you opt for a viewing, it will be necessary to have the body embalmed. It will also require some kind of casket.

Questions To Ask When Considering Cremation Services

What to do with the cremated remains

Cremated remains can be buried, scattered, or kept in an urn. Cemeteries provide several options for interring cremated remains, including plots for burial and “niches” in a columbarium. Tiny containers, designed to be worn as jewelry, are also available to hold only a small portion of ashes.

Provincial and local laws govern the scattering of ashes on public and private land and at sea.

CREMATION SERVICES: UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS & PRICES

Many factors go into the prices you are quoted for cremation services. Prices can vary widely from province to province, city to city, and even from provider to provider within your local area. 

A direct cremation is a simple cremation with no funeral or memorial service. The deceased is transported directly to the crematorium, and the cremated remains are returned to the family. This type of cremation is the most economical.

On the other hand, traditional cremation typically refers to a cremation that includes a memorial service with an urn present or funeral (the body is present) with cremation after.

Questions to Ask About Cremation Costs

When shopping for cremation services, make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Providers may refer to services differently, and packages may not include the same options. Some key questions to ask about the quote you receive include:

  • Is the price for a direct cremation or a traditional cremation?
  • What does the price include? For example, are transportation services included? What other extras are required?
  • Is the cremation container included?
  • Is the final resting place for ashes included?
  • Does the price include the crematory fees?
  • Are provincial and federal taxes included?
  • Is a memorial service included? If so, what elements of the service are included?