Frequently Asked Questions

How much would you like to be involved? Certainly, your funeral director will need you to specify certain details: the where and when, for example. Together you'll make important decisions about other specifics, but once those decisions are made, you can "step back" and let us handle everything or have as much input as you please.

You'll need to provide the documents/information required to complete your loved one's death certificate and obituary. You may also wish to bring in a collection of family photographs to be used in making a tribute video or in the decoration of the visitation or service location. Other items may be needed at some point, depending on the arrangements made. Your funeral director will provide you with an exact list of the things he or should would like you to bring along to the arrangement conference.

Commonly the funeral director who met with you during the arrangement conference will assume the responsibility of writing the obituary. You will support them in doing so by providing them with the necessary legal documents (birth certificates, military records, and marriage or divorce decrees) and other important details about your loved one's life. If you, or another family member or friend, wish to write the obituary, we can help to guide you through the process

Certainly. While cremation has become much more common in Canada over the past two decades, many of those who choose cremation continue to plan very traditional services. In fact it is possible to hold visitation or services before the cremation is carried out. Others take advantage of the less critical time restraints offered by cremation, extending the timeline of the process to assist those who have to travel to join family for their comforting rituals. Call us to discuss all of the options available to meet your special needs. 

A celebrant is a person who has been trained to lead or conduct ceremonies both formal and informal. They are not clergy; instead they are experienced masters-of-ceremony and story-tellers. A celebrant works closely with surviving family to create a ceremony which reflects the beliefs, cultural background, values and aspirations of your deceased loved one, and your family. If you think you would be best served by a celebrant, please speak with your funeral director.

This is a lot like asking "how much will it cost to buy a car or take a vacation?" The answer is totally dependent upon the services, merchandise and special features you may select during the arrangement conference. When you sit down with a funeral director to discuss service costs, you'll receive a copy of the firm's General Price List (also available here) which will detail all the basic professional services included in the price of your loved one's arrangements, as well as the cost of any ancillary products or services you've purchased. Call us to get a better idea of what options are available to you and the related costs.

This largely depends upon the services, products and cemetery you've selected; but a good rule of thumb is to expect to pay a deposit at the time the service contract is signed at the arrangement conference (or soon afterwards). Deposits often reflect the cash advances we are making on your behalf to outside vendors. Your funeral director will explain these charges at time of arrangement.

Some of the things you'll discuss with your funeral director involve purchases made from outside vendors, and you may be asked to pay for those items at the time of the arrangement conference.  One of the most common is the fee charged by a newspaper to print your loved one's obituary. Another cash advance charge could be for clergy or musician's fees, floral arrangements, reception necessities, such as food/beverage or facility rental. Your funeral director will provide you with a detailed invoice for all cash advance items.

If your loved one has not made previous arrangements for their burial, leaving you to pick the location of their interment, the first thing you'll need to do involves the selection of the cemetery and burial location within the grounds. While this is a separate function from the funeral arrangements, we can advise and assist you in finding an appropriate resting place for both casket and urn burials. Once the location is finalized your funeral director will co-ordinate all arrangements with the cemetery for the time of burial and the opening, dressing and closing of the gravesite.

First is the purchase price of the "right to use" the burial plot (unlike a real estate purchase, where you buy the land and all the structures on it; here you are only purchasing what are called the "interment rights" to the land). There are charges for the opening and closing of the gravesite and often for dressing the grave and use of the lowering device. There may also be fees to obtain the necessary permits and to maintain cemetery files and records. Additionally there may eventually be a monument installation fee, and a perpetual care fee (sometimes called "endowment care") paid to ensure your loved one's burial site is well-maintained.

Today, modern cemetery grounds are well-groomed, with vast expanses of green grass. A burial vault protects this pristine view, ensuring there is no sign of burial plots "settling". Certainly the vault also protects the casket; but the primary role of a burial vault is to protect the beauty of the cemetery environment. Each cemetery determines its own policy on the requirement for vaults.

A graveside service may refer to either the committal service conducted at the grave following a service elsewhere or, in some instances, families choose to hold the entire funeral service in the cemetery. We are experienced in providing both options. Speak with your funeral director to learn more about the choices that may best suit your needs.

When we make arrangements for the direct burial of an individual, we are expediting their interment. There will be no funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life; instead, we provide the physical care of the deceased (perhaps embalming their body, but certainly dressing and casketing) and then escort the casket to the cemetery for immediate burial. Similarly, direct cremation is a minimal service offering, which provides for the basic care of the deceased until cremation can be completed and the cremated remains returned to the family without any gathering or ritual.