Essentials Cremation and Burial Services Inc. - Products

Family and friends getting together to honor a loved one’s life is one of the most important steps in the grieving and healing process. You may opt to have a traditional religious or military funeral service, or as more and more people are doing, you can choose to have a non-traditional ‘life celebration’. Decisions need to be made about the location of the funeral, the choice of casket or urn and who the pallbearers should be. Another decision to make is who will be officiating the service. You can choose to have a minister (or other religious leader) or a celebrant officiate the service. The difference between a minister and a celebrant is a celebrant is non-denominational.

What is a Green or Natural Burial? A green or natural burial refers to returning a body to the earth as simple and with as little an impact on the environment as possible. For people who are mindful of the cyclical nature of life, a green or natural burial is a spiritually fulfilling alternative to conventional burial or cremation. Principles of a Green or Natural Burial The body is not embalmed. The body may be wrapped in a natural garment or shroud. If a casket is used, it is to be biodegradable and free of synthetic materials. Concrete vaults/lines are not permitted. The site is left to rejuvenate naturally (i.e Landscaping of the burial ground is minimal).

Through the years cremation has become the most common form of disposition. According to the Cremation Association of North America, currently Ontario, Canada is around a 75% cremation rate, and they project by year 2035 the cremation rate will be roughly at 86%. Are you considering cremation? There are four (4) crematoriums that typically serve funeral homes in the Niagara Region. Geographically they are located in Fonthill, Burlington, Milton and Paris. Each facility will have their own price list and set fees. The cost of cremation is considered to be a “disbursement” on a funeral home contract, (meaning it is a third party service being paid out on behalf of the family by the funeral establishment).

Traditionally, a burial service involves a visitation, followed by a funeral service in a church, or other place of worship. The casket is typically present at both these events, and it is your decision on whether to have the casket open or not. You have the option of having the remains interred (earth burial), or it may be entombed in a crypt inside a mausoleum (above ground burial). Family or religious traditions are often a factor for choosing a traditional burial. Decisions need to be made like, what kind of casket to use, what cemetery to use and what to put on the gravestone.