Finding a Funeral Home or Cremation Service Provider in Canada

Our directory of funeral service locations across Canada can help you locate a funeral home or crematory near you.  There are some 1,200 funeral service locations across the 12 Provinces.  We have organized the funeral home locations by Province, city, and town.  You can use the ‘Find a Funeral Home’ link to quickly locate funeral homes in your Province.

If you are especially researching for low-cost cremation services in Canada, you may wish to visit DFS Memorials LLC.  DFS Memorials is a network of independent providers across Canada who all offer their communities a simple cremation service at an affordable price.

Choose your province to find funeral homes in your area:

Canadian Professional Funeral Association

The Canadian National Funeral Directors Association was established in 1921 to represent funeral professionals.  In 1954, the Funeral Directors Association of Canada was formed to further strengthen the governance and professional objectives of funeral directors in Canada.  In 1978, the national association changed its name to the Funeral Service Association of Canada. (FSAC).

Funeral Service Association of Canada

800-1730 St. Laurent Boulevard

Ottawa, ON

K1G 5L1

Phone (613) 505-0277

The association member funeral professionals handle around 85% of all funeral services in Canada. The association provides governance, ongoing professional development and training, and public awareness concerning the death care service industry.

Submit or change a funeral location listing

If you are a funeral home and find that your listing has changed, or is missing, please submit the full details of your funeral home listing to us using our Contact Us form. We will be happy to update your information.

Canadian Funeral Industry

The death care industry in Canada is around a $1.6 billion industry. Although, this value may continue to change as death-care services continue to be re-shaped by our values, economy, and current affairs.

In recent years, there has been a shift from high-value traditional funeral services towards lower-cost alternatives.  Cremation services have become much more popular, with the cremation rate in Canada reaching over 73.1% last year.

Arbor Memorial Inc. is a death care corporation established in 1947 and operating in Canada with 41 cemeteries, 27 crematoria, and 92 funeral home locations.  Aside from their traditional funeral home locations, Arbor Memorial also operates several low-cost direct cremation companies under different brands.

Dignity Memorial operated by Service Corporation International also has a presence in Canada.

What Can I expect if arranging a Cremation Service?

Cremation has become the more popular alternative for a funeral service in Canada. Cremation services cost far less than a traditional burial funeral.  There is no need for a burial plot, burial vault, casket, or embalming.  All of which means that a cremation service will cost at least half the cost of a traditional funeral.

There are several different alternative cremation service packages.  A full-service cremation funeral is very similar to a traditional funeral, with the deceased present in repose in a casket for the funeral service.  A cremation is then conducted after the funeral service.  The average cost for a cremation funeral is around $5,000.

A cremation with a family viewing is another option.  Where a few family members may gather at the funeral home or crematory to view and pay last respects to their loved one prior to the cremation.

A simple cremation otherwise referred to as a ‘direct cremation’ is the most basic and economical cremation option.  In this case, there is no viewing or services prior to the deceased being cremated.  The deceased is collected from the place of death, sheltered whilst the necessary documentation is prepared, and then a cremation scheduled.  The Family can collect the cremated remains once they are ready, or arrange to have them sent to them.  A direct cremation can be arranged (in most cases) without even needing to visit the funeral home or crematory.

The average cost for a direct cremation varies by Province, ranging from $895 to around $1,500.

What Can I expect if arranging a ‘Traditional’ Funeral?

A traditional funeral, or ‘full service’ funeral, usually includes the full services of a Funeral Director in addition to a formal funeral ceremony.  A full-service funeral will typically involve viewing or visitation, a funeral ceremony, the use of a hearse to transport the deceased to the funeral home and cemetery, and burial, entombment, or cremation.

In order for a full-service funeral to be conducted, other services are usually added to the basic service fee.  Services such as embalming, dressing of the body, rental of the funeral home for visitation, additional vehicles to accompany the hearse, supply of a casket and casket liner, costs related to a cemetery plot or crypt, services of clergy or celebrant, submitting an obituary, funeral flowers, memorial books, and catering are all additional services and costs that most Funeral Homes will offer when arranging a traditional funeral. 

It is common for a ‘traditional’ funeral to be the most expensive type of funeral arrangement.  A typical full-service funeral in Canada can cost between $6,000 and $10,000.  The choice of the casket can significantly affect the total cost of a funeral, and most funeral home’s basic traditional service will only include the costs for a very basic casket.

A traditional funeral is a unique way of honouring a loved one, and many families choose to personalize a funeral so that it memorializes their loved one.  A full-service funeral with a full memorial service often provides for a greater opportunity for family and friends of the deceased to come together and share in a celebration and tribute to the life of their lost loved one.

For most Canadians, a funeral service is the last public occasion for relating to the dead. Among some aboriginals of the Yukon and northern BC, small houses surrounded by a fence are built over a grave, with symbolic offerings for the journey to the land of the dead.   Mausoleums have been erected for the wealthy or distinguished deceased but the cost and a resistance to glorifying the dead has kept this practice from being widespread.

Despite widespread criticism of the industry’s costs, little has changed over the years. Elaborate caskets may be purchased and expensive services are chosen, sometimes from guilt on the part of survivors, sometimes for the public image of the family. Funeral costs can vary between provinces or from urban to rural areas.  It is strongly recommended that full costs are clearly outlined for any full ‘traditional’ service.  Many bereaved families have not only had grief to contend with but have received a further shock when receiving their full-service bill after a traditional funeral has been conducted!   This is another reason why pre-planning has become increasingly popular in Canada.  This enables Canadians to rationally plan full funeral arrangements, whilst being mindful of costs, and relieve the immediate family from the emotional and financial burden of funeral arrangements.

Sources:

Cremation rates in Canada 2000 – 2024