I am often questioned about cremation. Some people are in favour of cremation and some are not. Some are simply undecided and are looking for some facts to make an informed decision. Regardless, cremation represents a personal choice that is becoming more and more popular. I would estimate that of the great number of funerals I pre-arranged last year, at least 40 percent of them will include cremation at the time of death which represents an increase in the number of cremations that we generally do.
In order for a cremation to take place, we need to register a death and receive a burial permit. We need to get a Coroner to sign a form that will allow the cremation and we need the executor or next of kin to sign an application for the cremation. The rules of the crematorium include that a body must be inside a combustible container…that could be the most expensive wooden casket that you can buy or it could be the most inexpensive container which honestly is a heavy corrugated cardboard container. When someone opts for a simple cremation service, the most inexpensive container fulfills the requirement of the crematorium and is totally acceptable to use. There are also other options in between the most expensive and the least expensive containers and each one of them is acceptable.
Jewelry is not recoverable after cremation. For that reason, jewelry that is to remain with a loved one is usually removed prior to the cremation and placed into the urn or other container after the cremation.
Cremated remains are returned to the Funeral Home inside a plastic bag which is contained in a heavy plastic box. We then place the plastic box into an urn bag and most times, that is how cremains are buried. Sometimes folks are under the impression that there is a requirement to purchase an urn, but there is not…to buy an urn is a personal choice. Also if you have a Funeral Service after the cremation has taken place, there is no need to pay the charge of renting a hearse to carry the cremated remains to the cemetery…a lot of times the family likes to take the container with them in their own car or if not, they can be taken in the lead car.
For more information on cremation, don’t hesitate to ask.
Until next week,
Marc
