2013-05-01 “Cremation Options”

I have been asked to write Marc’s Musings on what you can do with cremated remains. First of all, here are some facts: cremated remains consists mostly dry calcium with some minor minerals, such as sodium and potassium and are not harmful to the environment. The average weight of adult cremated remains is a little over five pounds. When cremated remains are returned from the crematorium to us, they are inside a plastic bag which is placed inside a sturdy black plastic box.
There is no rule that says you have to buy an urn, however some folks do. Some folks use the contianer that comes from the crematorium and some folks make their own urns. If you choose to make your own, the inside measurment of an urn is approximately 220 cubic inches.
There are many options when it comes to what someone would want done with their cremated remains. Here are the most common:
– You can take them home.
– You can inter them in a cemetery. In many cemeteries, if there is a casket buried already in a grave, you can still inter two cremated remains in the same grave. If there is no casket then you can inter four cremated remains in a single grave.
– You can inter them in a mausoleum (inside a building) or a columbarium (an exterior structure). Recently the Municipality of Chatham-Kent had columbariums constructed in some of the cemeteries that it operates. They are free standing structures that house a number of “niches” in which cremated remains can be housed.
– You can scatter cremated remains. Many people think that this is illegal, but it is not. A Government of Ontario website says this: ““Individuals and families are permitted to scatter cremated ashes on unoccupied Crown land, and those Crown lands covered by water. There is no need to obtain government consent to scatter cremated ashes on or in such areas, which include provincial parks and conservation reserves, and the Great Lakes”. Of course, if your wish is that your cremated remains be scattered on private property you need to get the consent of the property owner.