FAQ: Cremation Services

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 is called the "interment rights" to the land). In addition, there are fees for the "opening" and "closing" of the gravesite; fees required to obtain the necessary permits and to maintain cemetery files and records  as well as the costs for any other services or items purchased. There's also the headstone or grave marker installation fee, and a one-time "perpetual care" (sometimes called "endowment care") fee paid to ensure your loved one's burial site is well-maintained.

This is a question we hear a lot. Many funeral homes suggest (and may even go so far as to require) embalming if you're planning a viewing or visitation. That's because they want the experience to be as good as it can be for those in attendance, and proper embalming can ensure the deceased looks as good as possible. But as a general rule, embalming is not necessary or legally required if the body is cared for in a relatively short amount of time.  NWFA Inc. does not provide embalming, visitation or service facilities. 

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario states that average casket costs around $2,000. Our September Poplar casket by Northern Casket is sold for $1,350.  We can order a casket to fit any budget.

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. Once the date and time of interment is agreed upon, NWFA Inc. will transport the deceased to the cemetery.  At that time, the cemetery grounds keepers will take care of the "opening" and "closing" of the grave and the proper placement of the casket in the grave.

The cemetery will put a temporary identification marker on your loved one's grave, but it is only intended as a placeholder until a permanent headstone or grave marker is set in place. After some time, this temporary identification may weather, fade or otherwise become unreadable.

Lakehead Monument is the most common option for grave makers.  Some cemeteries have specific regulations as to the size, type or construction of markes, so please speak to them before making a selection.

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 with the deceased present; instead, we provide the physical care of the deceased and then transport the casket to the cemetery for immediate burial.

We will complete and file the death certificate, obtain signatures on any required permits or authorizations, help you select a cemetery in which to inter your loved one, as well as a casket or container for burial.   We will oversee the physical care of the deceased, casketing and transportation to the cemetery for immediate burial. 

Rather than having a service in a church or hall, and then adjourning to the cemetery for the burial; some families choose to gather solely at the cemetery. There, they are led through a ceremony prepared by a clergy person or celebrant and witness the in-ground committal of their loved one's casket. 

One of the most common is the fee charged by a newspaper to print your loved one's obituary.  Another would be the charges at a cemetery for the opening/closing of a grave.  NWFA Inc. can pay for these items, and the family will reimburse us the costs.

The exact answer to this question largely depends upon the services, products and cemetery you've selected.  Our terms are Net 30, which means the bill must be payed within 30 days.  Should you need to make other arrangements, please call and we would be happy to discuss your options.

We're tempted to answer this with another question: who would you like to write it? Perhaps you'd like to ask a friend or family member to do so; maybe you're thinking it's something you would like to do. In any case, we have an obituary template that will guide you through the basics.  An obituary is not required, and can be as simple or detailed as you wish.