To ensure you are getting a full picture of costs that will be due, make sure that all 3 categories are covered by any quotations you receive from a cemetery:

Interment Rights (the property itself) - Sometimes the only item quoted.

Services - Opening and closing fees and/or Cremation fees (often tied with a $30.00 BAO Consumer Protection fee), Foundation pouring fees, Marker setting fees, Care and maintenance fees, etc.

Products - Monuments or markers, Burial vaults, Niche plaques, Lanterns, Urns, etc.

Cemetery counsellors should be able to provide all the applicable fees for the decisions that you are making, and give you the option between paying ahead of time (to lock in that day’s pricing), or you may opt to leave those items for the time of need (lower upfront cost, but potential for higher rates when they are needed)

A burial vault is a solid, protective container that surrounds the casket. They are usually made of reinforced concrete and lined with layers of metal or polymers. Contrary to popular belief, a burial vault is not intended to preserve the deceased but rather to protect the casket from ground water, the weight of the earth and any heavy equipment that may pass over it.

Some cemeteries require the purchase of a vault or grave liner for a burial. This is a safety precaution aimed at ensuring that the earth doesn’t collapse due to unstable ground.

If your chosen cemetery does not require the use of a grave liner or burial vault, the choice is yours whether or not to purchase one. The cemeteries that I represent do not mandate the use of burial vaults.

There are a few important reasons to secure a final resting place for yourself and your family members ahead of the time of need:

1. Lessen stress and uncertainty during an already difficult time.

2. Ensure that you have space close to family and friends, as cemetery space is quickly becoming limited in Toronto.

3. Save money. By pre-purchasing a location and the services required, future price increases will not impact your family, no matter when the services are required.

4. Allow for small payments over time. Cemeteries offer flexible payment terms over several years when planning for the future. If the property is needed right away, payment in full is required before an interment, which can be difficult for those we leave behind.

Cemeteries have a wide range of final resting places to ensure that values and preferences can be met. The biggest differentiating factor is indoor vs. outdoor:

Indoor space offers a peaceful, climate-controlled environment for comfortable visiting all year round. With spaces that can accommodate caskets or urns, there is something available for everyone.

Outdoor spaces allow families to be closer with nature. Plots can accommodate caskets and urns together, or urns only, depending on the option chosen. There are also above-ground urn options, for those who wish to be outdoors, but do not want their urn buried in the earth.

Private family mausoleums can also be custom built at select cemeteries, allowing for many family members to rest together in their own separate building.

The short answer is no. Cemetery/Crematorium and Funeral Home/ Transfer Service are two different types of licenses. Crematoriums cannot assist with services such as safe transport from the place of death, preparation/casketing of the deceased, or registration of the death to secure the paperwork necessary for cremation to occur.

When the individual, already in their casket or container, along with the required documentation is brought to the crematorium, that is when our license allows the crematorium operators to complete the process.

When the cremation is complete, the family will decide what they would like to do with the cremated remains/urn. Reach out to me for advice and answers to any questions.