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Funeral Preplanning

[Cremation | Links | Casket Stores]

Cremation Costs

Below are some of the costs that can be expected with a cremation in the Greater Toronto Area. Prices generally include GST. A cremation arranged through a funeral home will cost at least $1,100.

1) Coroner's Certificate: $75
2) Municipal registration fee: $15 - $27.50
3) Provincial licensing fee: $10.70
4) Cremation: $401.25 - $454.75
5) Witnessing the cremation: 0 - $401.25
6) Urn: 0 to >$700
7) Urn vault: >$600
8) Burial: $128.40 - $347.75

Options for Placement of Cremains

1) Keep urn: 0
2) Scattering: 0 to >$55
3) Memorial woods: > $160
4) Grave: >$500
a) Granite tombstone or "marker": >$565
b) Inscriptions: > $250
c) Setting of marker: >$90
5) Niche: >$480
a) Columbarium niche plaque: >$395
b) Inscription: >$250
c) Plaque installation: $84

Before cremation can take place, a Coroner's Certificate must be obtained by the funeral director at a cost of $75. There is a regulatory licensing fee of $10.70 payable for all burials.

Each municipality charges a fee for registering the death, e.g., $27.50 in Toronto. Oakville charges $15 for a basic certificate, and $22 for a certified long form.

After the required documents are obtained, the funeral home can drive the chosen casket to the crematorium. You may want to witness that the casket is indeed put into the furnace. There have been criminal charges where either the purchased casket was switched or the body was not cremated! Some crematoriums charge extra to have witnesses and/or limit the number of people in the chamber. You have the option of turning on the switch yourself. You do not see the casket on fire unless you look into the small peephole. Discuss the family's preferences with the funeral home before they use their default crematorium.

The five fees discussed above are generally paid first by the funeral home, which is then billed to you. In addition to the price quoted by your pre-arranged funeral home, you can expect to pay disbursements of over $500 for a cremation.


CREMATION BURIAL

You can choose among the following groups for your cremation and burial:
1) Religious organization, e.g., Catholic Cemeteries.
2) Municipality: your local government may operate cemeteries for its residents.
3) Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries
4) Independents
5) Park Lawn Company Limited
6) Arbor Group

CATHOLIC CEMETERIES

Catholic Cemeteries Archdiocese of Toronto
Tel: 416-735-8544 or 1-800-974-4619
Can request the Catholic Planning Package, which includes an Estate Planning Guide and Church guidelines on cemetery, cremation and funeral procedures.

Assumption Cremation Centre
6933 Tomken Road, SE corner of Derry Road, Mississauga
Tel: 905-670-8801
Unlike other cemeteries, a price list was easy to obtain. Cremation: $438.70
Interment in niche: $208.65
Niche: >$481
Interment to grave: $246.10
Grave: $508.25

The Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Hamilton Tel: 1-800-661-5985 or 905-522-7727
May be an option for Catholics who live west of Toronto, e.g., Oakville. A price list was available to mail or fax.

Holy Cross Catholic Cremation Centre
Governor's Road, Brant County
Cremation: $406.60

MUNICIPALITY

Oakville (including price list)
Tel: 905-338-4236
Scattering: $53
Memorial Woods: $153
Interment to grave: $303
Interment to niche: $175
Grave: >$712

The City of Brampton operates more than 20 cemeteries
Brampton Cemetery
Tel: 905-874-2997 or e-mail cemetery@city.brampton.on.ca

MOUNT PLEASANT GROUP

The Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries is a non-profit organization. They have the following charges:
1) Cremation: $454.75
2) Scattering: $260
3) Interment: $347.75

Meadowvale Crematorium: provided price list.
7732 Mavis Road, Brampton
Tel: 905-451-3716
Witnessing cremation: $144.45 Cremation grave: $746.86+ Niche, indoor chapel, with glass front, single: $1,417.75

Beechwood Cemetery: provided price list.
7241 Jane Street between Steeles and Highway 7, Concord
Tel: 905-669-1827 or 1-800-408-6033
Cremation grave: $658.05+ Niche, single: $1,692.74+

Mount Pleasant Crematorium
375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto
Tel: 416-485-9129

Thornton Crematorium
1200 Thornton Road, Oshawa
Tel: 905-579-6787 (long distance)

Elgin Mills Crematorium
1591 Elgin Mills Road East, Richmond Hill
Tel: 905-737-1720

Toronto Necropolis
200 Winchester Street, Toronto
Tel: 416-923-7911

Prospect Crematorium: refused to provide a price list.
1450 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto
Tel: 416-651-4040

Independents

The following crematoriums appear to be independent of the big chains.

St. John's Dixie: non-profit organization; includes price list.
7370 Dundas & Cawthra
Tel: 905-566-9403
Cremation: $440
Interment to grave: $175
Interment in outside niche: $145
Scattering: $300
Two urn cremation grave: $650, 2' x 2', optional 16" x 10" granite marker is permitted.
Niche: $1,070+ (2 urns, outside granite columbarium niche)
Single grave holds 2 traditional full burials and 8 cremation burials: $3,638

St. James Crematorium
635 Parliament Street, Toronto
Tel: 416-964-9194
Cremation: $428

Bayview Crematorium
Burlington
Tel: 905-522-5466 or 1-800-563-4045
Cremation: $401.25
Witnessing cremation: $401.25


Funeral Preplanning Links

Consumer Reports: preplan but do not prepay.
Funeral Advisory and Memorial Society (FAMS) of Toronto
The Federation of Ontario Memorial Societies
Funeral Services Board (Ontario): Every funeral director and transfer service operator is required by law to have price lists available to the public at no charge and without obligation.
Funeral and Memorial Societies of America How to plan a funeral for a loved one

Casket Stores

  • Factory Direct Caskets
  • The Casket Store
  • The Casket Store, 1255 The Queensway, Etobicoke, ON, M8Z 1S1, 416-251-1167.
  • The Casket Store, 97 King E, Oshawa, 877-574-0681.

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