Cremation Services
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Through the years cremation has become the most common form of disposition. According to the Cremation Association of North America, currently Ontario, Canada is around a 75% cremation rate, and they project by year 2035 the cremation rate will be roughly at 86%. 

Are you considering cremation?

There are four (4) crematoriums that typically serve funeral homes in the Niagara Region. Geographically they are located in Fonthill, Burlington, Milton and Paris. Each facility will have their own Price List and set fees. The cost of cremation is considered to be a "disbursement" on a funeral home contract, (meaning it is a third party service being paid out on behalf of the family by the funeral establishment). 

When someone selects cremation as a form of disposition there are a few options available to consider.

Once the death has occurred, some people want cremation to take place immediately. It is important that the family has a chance to say goodbye before cremation takes place. This is often accomplished when a person has been receiving palliative/end of life care, and through this time he or she is surrounded by family and friends.  However this may not be the case if the death was sudden or unexpected.

At Essentials we have a peaceful room for a final goodbye and we certainly encourage the use of it. Even if it is one or two family members or family representatives present for it, this process does help us with confirming the identity of the deceased. There are no additional costs for this private time and it is an honour for us to take care of your loved one. Should the family feel uncomfortable with seeing their loved one, we may ask some general questions regarding some identifiable features of the person who has passed away. This process isn't meant to add additional stress to the family, it is simply to ensure we have the correct person in our care and will be cremated. 

Realize that making arrangements for cremation still involves a little bit of a process of completing the appropriate paper work. Usually an appropriate time frame from when someone passes away to when the cremated remains are ready for the family is between 2-3 days. 

While some people prefer to have a simple cremation with no services or ceremony, many decide on having some kind of a memorial or celebration of life. We are here to assist families with arranging for a unique and meaningful service or life celebration.   

Some people would prefer to have cremation take place after a service or ceremony. In this scenario, we would bring a casket to church or to an appropriate facility for the funeral. This opportunity would include the deceased resting in a casket for the service. Following the funeral, instead of going to a cemetery, the deceased is brought to a crematorium.  

What to do with the cremated remains?

As a funeral director, I find it my duty to ensure families have a proactive plan on what they want to do with the cremated remains of their loved ones. I ask families: "Where is this urn in 5 years, 15 years or 50 years?"

Some common options families consider are:

  • Bring the urn home
  • Bring the urn to a cemetery and place the remains in an pre-existing family plot, or purchase a cremation grave (in the earth) or a cremation niche (columbarium/mausoleum)
  • Scattering the cremated remains on land or in water (providing you have permission from the property owner or that it is not forbidden within the by-laws of the property). 

For further information on what options are available please contact us, and we will walk you through the different options and the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.

The Process (thoroughly explained)

  • The deceased's body is placed in a container formally known as a cremation casket or cremation container.
  • The crematorium will come directly to our location and receive the cremation casket into their care and bring the deceased directly to the crematorium for cremation. 
  • Once the deceased arrives at the crematorium, an identification tag is added to the cremation container. The crematorium will plan a time for the cremation to take place, usually once the crematorium reviews the submitted paperwork from the funeral establishment.
  •  A large furnace called a cremation chamber or retort is where the whole cremation casket is rolled into for the actual cremation process.  The process involves intense heat and the deceased's remains are reduced to smaller bone fragments. After removing the cremated remains from the retort, the bone fragments are further reduced into a finer form, resembling a coarse sand.  The cremated remains of an average adult body will weigh about 5-8 pounds. The actually cremation process can take approximately 3-4 hours. 
  • The cremated remains are placed into a clear bag which is tied closed with the identification tag and placed into a cardboard container with the deceased's information on it. A Certificate of Cremation is also produced by the crematorium for the family. This certificate is required for a cemetery interment or for any travelling with the ashes. 
  • The crematorium will return the cremated remains back to our funeral establishment, and the family will be notified. 

As mentioned, cremated remains can be scattered, buried or they may be kept with the family in a decorative urn.  There are many new, different and unique options for what to do with ashes today. Cremated remains can be placed in an artificial coral reef in the ocean, they can be launched into space, or they can be spun into glass pieces of art or diamonds.

If you have any further questions regarding cremation or the process, we are here to answer your questions. Please don't hesitate to contact us at any time.