We are a volunteer run funeral consumers' planning information service, founded in 1979, funded by one-time individual lifetime membership fees of $15 paid at the time of joining and the ongoing generosity of our members in making annual supporting donations. We have no paid employees and there are no Board perks. We presently serve some 2400 members in the area from Oshawa to Belleville and north to the Haliburton Highlands through 12 contracted funeral providers at 13 locations.

We are one of 11 Memorial Societies in Ontario presently serving over 51,000 Ontario residents. We DO NOT own, operate or have a financial interest in any funeral home, transfer service, cemetery, crematorium or monument company.

To gather information about the local and Ontario death care industry on behalf of those who have decided they do not want expensive, full service funerals. Specifically to advise how to obtain simple, dignified funerals at moderate cost and to effectively communicate this information to anyone interested.

Memorial Societies can be found in many major population centres in Canada and the United States. They seek out funeral providers who will agree to provide society members with simple, dignified, funerals at moderate cost. No deposit or prepayment is required when making arrangements with one of these funeral providers. Prearranging is encouraged.

Two types of simple funerals have been set out. They are identified as the Type "A" and the Type "B" and can be varied as desired with cost adjustments.

This is a funeral of the utmost simplicity and has evolved into what is now referred to as an Immediate Disposition to the cemetery or crematorium. It is usually chosen by members who want a memorial service in the chapel of the crematorium or funeral home, at a church or any other location or no service at all.

A memorial service is a service where the body is not present and it is often held a week or so after the death.

While still very simple, it is more conventional. There is no embalming and the casket is closed. Friends and relatives may be received at the funeral home for one afternoon and evening or often now for an hour before the service with a cost variance. A cloth pall is usually used to cover the closed plain casket or container.

You can, of course, add anything you wish (at an additional cost) to the Type "A" or Type "B" funeral simply by asking the funeral provider at the time the prearrangement forms are completed or survivors can do this at the time of death.

NOTE THAT BURIAL OR CREMATION MAY BE CHOSEN WITH EITHER THE TYPE "A" OR TYPE "B" FUNERAL.

You are in the process of a most important first step in considering information that can save your next-of-kin as much as $4000 plus if you decide that you do not want an expensive full service funeral. (Increasingly Ontario residents are opting for less costly departures.)

The next step is very important. It is to discuss with your spouse and/or family or your best friend exactly what kind of funeral is appropriate to your circumstances, choose a funeral provider then put your wishes in writing on a funeral prearrangement form, provided by the Society. This is not a legal document and can be changed anytime with a phone call to the funeral provider.

Cremation is being selected by an ever increasing percentage of Ontario residents. It reduces the body to its basic elements in 3 to 4 hours using intense heat. The final part of the cremation process is to compress the bones into small fragments so best not to scatter them on the ground where people will frequent.
The casket or container goes into the cremation chamber after the removal of any metal handles. One might well question then the purchase of expensive upscale wooden caskets and often now lower cost caskets are being selected, these closed and covered with a cloth pall if the body of the deceased is to be present at a service. A picture of the deceased or a collage of pictures can be displayed.

The cremated remains are returned from the crematorium in a heavy weight plastic box approximately 9"x 6" x 3" in size (or sometimes in a temporary cardboard container if the cremated remains are to go into an urn). This container is perfectly adequate for interment or shipping to another cemetery. You may well ask if you need to purchase a special urn for several hundreds of dollars if the cremated remains are not to be permanently displayed?

Cremated remains can be scattered just about anywhere, this contrary to what some cemetery salespersons say in an effort to sell cemetery plots and markers.

Other dispositions:

Cremated remains can be taken by the next-of-kin.
They can be placed under a memorial tree.
They can be interred in the corner of an already used regular grave plot.
A mini grave plot can be purchased.
They can be placed in a niche in the columbarium at a cemetery or crematorium.
Some cemeteries have scattering grounds.
They can be placed in an underground common crypt.

Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit
There is a CPP Death Benefit to a maximum of $2,500 payable to the estate of the deceased. It is not automatic but must be applied for by your executor.

Funeral Insurance
A number of insurance companies aggressively promote funeral insurance. Evaluate this carefully before you sign up. It can be quite expensive.

The Lowest Cost Funeral
The least expensive funeral is an immediate disposition with cremation and a memorial service at a cost of about $1,200 to $2,000 with the taxes. You might expect the higher price if done through a regular funeral home because of the higher overhead costs at a funeral home. There are added cemetery costs to consider.

On joining the

Funeral Advisory & Memorial Society of Peterborough & District

  You will receive an instruction sheet, funeral prearrangement forms, a membership card for your wallet, the names of our participating funeral providers, detailed costing outlines and a personal information listing form (for your executor). An annual newsletter will keep you up-to-date on your Memorial Society.

TO CONNECT WITH US

Phone (705) 742-0550 (best between 7 pm and 9 pm)

Mail
Box 1795
Peterborough ON
K9J 7X6