Our ServicesServicesUpon the death of a loved one, one of the first things you should do is contact the funeral home. We will then set up a time that is convenient for you to come in and complete the funeral arrangements. If you do not wish to come to the funeral home, arrangements may be made for a licensed funeral director to come to your home. You should set aside two to three hours for this process.During the funeral arrangements, the funeral director will guide you through all the necessary tasks that need to be performed when a death occurs. The people attending the funeral arrangements should include the executor/executrix and any other immediate family members. Legally, we must take our instructions and have legal papers signed by the executor/executrix of the estate, although, in most cases, the immediate family members are the ones who make the decisions. We would also encourage any younger people, children or grandchildren that may want to attend, to come to the arrangement conference as well. We have found their input to be very helpful at times. Realities - Preparing Children for the Funeral Ritual" which again helps family members explain death to children. As well as guiding you through the arrangements, we will be supplying you with detailed information about funeral or ceremony options, pricing, caskets, urns, cremation, outer containers and other merchandise and accessories related to a death. Heritage Funeral Home offers the Estate Administrator to all of our families, to help them settle the estate. All options and information will be provided to assist you in making the most informed decisions you can. We also encourage family members to personalize the funeral in order to capture the deceased's life. The funeral director can help you accomplish this by offering several ideas we have seen in the past, such as, displaying art work or photographs of the deceased in the visitation room on a big screen, we will take care of creating the memorial video. Our goal is to make every service special and to ensure that you have a complete understanding of all decisions which need to be made.
BurialWhat is Burial?Burial is the practice of disposing of human remains by placing them in the earth, in a cemetery. This practice exists since the beginning of time and is still the most popular nowadays. Many families wish and some cemeteries insist that the casket be placed in a protective container that protects the deceased while preventing excessive compacting of the soil and caving in. Services and funeral ceremonies before burial?Before burial, it is traditional to select a casket and protective container, to have visitation at the funeral home with a display of photographs or personal effects and awards; a funeral ceremony with appropriate music can be held, after which family and friends accompany the deceased to the cemetery. What costs are involved with burial?There is the funeral home services cost which varies according to the type of ceremony involved; the cost of the merchandise such as the casket and the protective container; the cost of a new plot (if there is not an existing family plot) and the cost of opening and closing the grave. Burial is an option to entombment or cremation. Whatever your decision, a wide range of services and merchandise is available. Please consult one of our directors if you need more information or if you wish to discuss pre-arrangements. Click here to learn more on how to contact us.
CremationMany people believe that the process of cremation is an end in itself, but it is not. Cremation is only a step for memorialization. It does not differ from what people know as a traditional funeral. When choosing cremation you have the same options for memorialization as any other family has. Cremation can take place before or after the funeral service. It is important to remember that choosing cremation does not limit the funeral in any way. We will answer many of the common questions about cremation in the next few paragraphs. If we haven't answered your question about cremation please contact us directly. CREMATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:When making funeral arrangements, people have to make the decision regarding the method of disposition. Earth burial, mausoleum entombment or cremation may be chosen. We will answer many of the common questions regarding cremation and this will help to simplify your decision making process. For more information please contact us directly. WHAT IS CREMATION?Cremation is a process of reducing the body to bone fragments by applying intense heat for a period of two to three hours. The cremated remains, which are commonly referred to as “ashes” are removed from the cremation chamber. They are then processed into finer fragments and placed in a temporary container. The ashes weight typically between three and six pounds. An urn may be selected for the final disposition of the cremated remains. WHERE AND WHEN DOES CREMATION TAKE PLACE?Cremations occur at a crematorium in a special furnace called a cremation chamber or retort. Ontario regulations allow only one cremation at a time. DO WE NEED TO BUY A CASKET?Ontario’s law requires that at a minimum, the deceased must be placed into a rigid combustible container. Many options of caskets and containers are available to you CAN WE PLACE PERSONAL MEMENTOS IN THE CASKET PRIOR TO CREMATION?Many personal items may be placed in the casket; however, some items may need to be removed prior to the cremation process. All items left in the casket will be destroyed during the cremation. Your funeral director can advise you on what items may stay and what items must be removed from the casket. DO WE NEED TO HAVE A FUNERAL IF WE SELECT CREMATION?Cremation does not limit the type of funeral service that may be chosen. The same options that apply to earth burial are available with cremation. Some of these choices include: casket type, location of the service and visitation, music selection, open casket and the display of personal mementos. Some families select to have a complete service at the funeral home or place of worship. Others prefer to have a procession to the crematorium similar to earth burial. IS EMBALMING REQUIRED?Embalming is not mandatory; however, some circumstances may require it. If you prefer an open casket with a visitation prior to the service, embalming is highly recommended. WHAT IS AN URN?An urn is a container designed to hold the cremated remains permanently. It may be constructed from a variety of materials such as wood, bronze, copper, steel, pewter, granite, marble, clay pottery or fine porcelain. We have a large selection of urns available designed to reflect the lifestyle of an individual. Urns may also be personalized by engraving. Urns also come in a variety of sizes that allow more than one member of the family to have a portion of the cremated remains WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE CREMATED REMAINS?Burial: The Cremated remains may be buried in an existing cemetery plot or a new plot may be purchased. Inurnment: The urn may be placed in a niche in an above ground structure called a columbarium. Scattering: Cremated remains may be scattered on private or public property if authorization is obtained. Properties may be bought and sold so it is important to know that once the scattering takes place, the cremated remains are irretrievable. Scattering on either public or private property may offend some people and there may be laws prohibiting such action. Shipping: You may wish for the cremated remains to be shipped to another country. We can look after these arrangements for you. You may also be permitted to take the cremated remains yourself to another country. Check with us first and we can assist you to obtain any additional documentation that may be required. Many people prefer to have the urn at home with them. IS CREMATION LESS EXPENSIVE THAN BURIAL?Typically cremation is less expensive than burial, there are other factors affecting the cost of cremation. Depending on which cemetery is selected, the cremation cost may be less expensive than the purchase of a cemetery plot. There are coroner fees to authorize the cremation, an urn to purchase and possible transportation costs of delivering the urn to its final destination. Cremation is only an option to earth burial or entombment. We provide a wide range of services and merchandise to fit every situation and budget. Before making an important decision about cremation, it is important to have as much information as possible. We encourage you to contact us anytime for further information.
PersonalizationFunerals or ceremonies not only honor the memory of the loved one who has died, they also offer a special moment that has meaning and beauty for family and friends. By designing a ceremony that is dignified and personal through the use of pictures, a memorial table, special music, hobbies, crafts, special clothing, awards or trophies and collections, a “Special Service” is created to honor and acknowledge who the loved one was to each family member and friend, enabling everyone to say goodbye in their own way. Personalization also helps to create an open dialogue between family members and friends at a time when people often feel as though they don't know what to say. During the funeral arrangements, we ask that you go through photo albums and try to pick out special memories and moments in your life that will help you remember your loved one. Some items to bring us may include; pictures, special clothing or uniforms, crafts (ceramics, knitting, crocheting, sewing, etc.), jewellery, lodge or community group regalia or insignia, sports equipment or uniforms and favorite music (to be played at the visitation, as a service prelude or at the cemetery). These are just a few ideas. By using your imagination to come up with ideas of your own, you will be able to personalize the service in a way that will be memorable for you and your family for many years to come. Any of these items may be placed in or on the casket or on a memory board or table. We have stands and equipment to help you arrange them as you like.
Items To Bring With You To The ArrangementSome items that we ask you to bring to the funeral arrangement would include; a complete set of clothing for the deceased, including underclothing (shoes not necessary, but will be put on if brought in); glasses, if worn; a rough copy of the obituary or life history including all surviving family members, their spouses and places of residence, the deceased's father and mother's name including the mother's maiden name and the deceased's social insurance number. The social insurance number is needed in order to register the death with the Province of Ontario which will enable us to obtain a 'Burial Permit'. If a cemetery plot has already been purchased, we ask that you also bring in the cemetery information. For Provincial Death Registration
For Newspaper Notices
For Visitation (if applicable)
Miscellaneous Items
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