Is your company a Funeral Home?

No, we are not a funeral home, we are what is termed a “Transfer Service”. Which is what we are licensed under by the Ontario Board of Funeral Services. Our staff members are licensed Funeral Directors as prescribed by the Ontario Funeral Directors and Establishments Act.

How are you different from a Funeral Home?

We do not offer traditional funeral services. We offer alternative services, for example direct cremation, direct burial, memorial services and shipment of human remains out of the Province. This is what a transfer service is licensed to do. This type of establishment license was created by the Ontario Government to allow families to by-pass using a traditional Funeral Home and go directly to an independent alternative service provider.

What is “direct cremation”?

Direct cremation is transporting the deceased from the place of death, {home, hospital, hospice or nursing home}, arranging for all necessary registrations with the Government, placing the deceased in a cremation casket, supplying death certificates, Canada Pension Forms, and transportation to the Crematorium for cremation. This is simplest service we offer.

Is embalming required by law?

No, in all Provinces embalming is not required by law. However, embalming may be the policy of a particular Funeral Home, when you are having a visitation or open casket service. If you are have a direct cremation service, embalming is obsolete.

If I choose direct cremation can I see the deceased one last time before cremation?

Yes, many times especially when a death occurs suddenly family members feel that they need to say good bye one last time. This gives them sense of closure. Because of that fact we would never restrict a family from this right. We offer to each family time to do this at the Crematorium Chapel This is your private time with your loved one and you will not be rushed.

We called a local Funeral Home and they said they would require us to “identify” our loved one in their Funeral Home before direct cremation. Will you require us to do the same, even if we do not want to?

No, suffering the loss of a loved one is difficult enough. We would never require you to do something you do not want to do, we respect your right to remember your loved one the way you want. We are here to listen to you not to tell you what to do.

Is scattering cremated remains illegal?

No, contrary to what you may have been told by other funeral service providers, it is not illegal to scatter cremated remains in Ontario. Sometimes families are told this is illegal there are a couple of reasons for this, sometimes it is out of ignorance and sometimes it is because the provider is more interested in selling a product. (ie: urn or cemetery plot). If you are told that it is “illegal” to scatter cremated remains ask that person to show you in writing the legislation that states this fact. It is also interesting to note that some of the same providers who claim it is illegal to scatter ashes, also sell paper mache scattering containers. Which are designed to be filled with cremated remains and then placed in water. The container then breaks down and the ashes released into the water. This begs the question, if this is “illegal”, why are you selling a product that encourages people to break the law?

Are we required to purchase an urn to put the cremated remains in?

No, you do not have to purchase an urn. Cremated remains come from the Crematorium in sealed plastic bag, which is in either a black plastic box, or a white cardboard box, (depending on the Crematorium). If you are planning on burying the cremated remains in a Cemetery plot or scattering this container suitable for either. If you wish to purchase a traditional urn we do have a number of urns to choose from in an affordable price range.

Funeral services have become very expensive and we really do not have much money to spend, who can we turn to if we just don’t have the money?

If a family does not have the necessary funds to pay for funeral or cremation expenses there are a number of different ways in which you can apply for assistance. Below are a few of the most common ways of assistance.

Social Assistance or Welfare – Each municipality has an Ontario Works office, (you can find contact information under our “Links” menu). Ontario Works will make an appointment to meet with you, (usually the same day), to review the financial status of the deceased. They will then make a decision on whether or not the decease will qualify of assistance. If they do qualify for assistance, Ontario Works will cover all necessary costs for the type of services need, some restrictions will apply.

DVA or Last Post Fund – Which is exclusively for Canadian Military Veterans. The process to apply for this is similar to Ontario Works, and some restrictions apply. Again you will find contact information for DVA and Last Post under our “Links” section of this site.

Victim Services – Will also be available for assistance. Victim Services is for families that have suffered a loss due to violent crime. Again a contact information can be found under our “Links” section.