FAQ: Cremation Services

Price

With cremation, you can avoid many of the expenses that are traditionally seen with burial.  Minimum costs will include a basic casket, transportation and storage of the body, professional fees, cremation fee, death certificate, CPBC fee, and taxes.  Final cost before an urn is $3967.65.  Extra items such as cemetery, witness cremation, visitation, additional death certificates, and services would cost more.

Religion

Some religious denominations favour cremation as a practice. 

More flexibility

Many people feel like they have more freedom with cremation. You can have a service before the cremation, but you also have the freedom to have a ceremony well after the cremation, with the cremated remains present. You also have more flexibility with what can be done with the cremated remains. They can be scattered, buried, placed in an urn, and these are just a few ideas. 

Environment

There’s a common misconception that cremation is a green option.  The emissions released vary depending on the crematorium.  But it is a more environmentally friendly option in regards to land use.

Cremation helps with the problem of overcrowded cemeteries as cremation plots are much smaller than typical ones. Or, if you scatter or store the cremated remains, a plot is not necessary at all.

A basic cremation casket is $337.00 + taxes which has a wood bottom and supports with cardboard sides and top.  This casket will burn faster and reduce costs.  Families can choose other caskets at higher costs.  The funeral home will have other options for you to view.

It can take anywhere from three to six hours, but the answer is dependent on several factors.

For a body of average height and weight, contained in a casket, the cremation process typically takes about three hours. From there, you can estimate about how long it will take depending on whether the person is larger or more petite.

Many people are surprised at the amount and weight of the cremated remains.  Since most of the organic matter vaporizes, the amount is mainly determined by the bone structure of the person, the average weight of cremated remains is 5-7 pounds.  A tall, large boned person’s remains will weigh more than a person of small stature.  The type of casket is another determining factor.

Most of the body’s organic matter is vaporized quickly by the high heat.

However, the bones, which are made of carbonates and calcium phosphates, do not burn as easily.

After the cremation is completed, much of the bone and fragments remain. These are normally placed into a machine that reduces it down into a coarse sand-like substance.

It is not a legal requirement for embalming.  Many times, the family desires to have a viewing before the cremation. In this case, some preparation of the body or embalming as well as cosmetic preparations are necessary for a positive viewing experience.