There is more than one way to care for a body and mark a death.

Separate the decisions

Body care, disposition and ceremony are different choices.

Body care

How a body is washed, dressed, cooled, prepared or viewed.

Disposition

What ultimately happens to the body, such as burial, cremation or donation to science.

Ceremony

How people gather, remember, mourn or mark the death.

A funeral is not one fixed package. These choices can often be combined in different ways.

Compare the paths

Every path has its own steps and costs.

• Conventional burial

  A body is placed in a cemetery grave, usually in a casket. Cemetery rules, grave liners, memorials and costs vary.

  Consider

  • Cemetery and plot
  • Casket
  • Opening and closing fees
  • Memorial rules
  • Ongoing cemetery requirements

• Natural or green burial

  A body returns to the earth using biodegradable materials and without conventional embalming. Rules vary by cemetery.

  Local links

  • Elk Falls Cemetery in Campbell River
  • Cumberland Cemetery Natural Burial Area
  • Green Burial Campbell River

  Consider

  • Approved caskets or shrouds
  • Clothing and material rules
  • Cemetery availability
  • Memorial restrictions
  • Transportation and funeral-provider arrangements

• Cremation

  The body is cremated and the cremated remains are returned to the authorized person.

  Consider

  • Direct cremation or ceremony
  • Container or urn
  • Keeping, burying or scattering remains
  • Cemetery and local scattering rules
  • Total itemized cost

• Donation to science

  A person may apply to donate their body to the UBC Body Donation Program.

  • Acceptance is never guaranteed.
  • Eligibility is assessed at the time of death.
  • A backup plan is essential.
  • Body donation and organ donation are different programs.
  • Most organ donation prevents whole-body donation, apart from limited exceptions identified by UBC.
  • UBC Body Donation Program ↗

• Organ and tissue donation

  Registering with BC Transplant records a person’s organ-donation decision. Organ donation is not a funeral or disposition method — funeral arrangements are still needed afterward.

  • Register with BC Transplant ↗
  • How to register as an organ donor ↗

• Family-led and home-based care

  Families may wish to spend time with the body, participate in washing or dressing, hold a vigil or arrange some parts themselves. What is possible depends on the circumstances, so confirm the details before you rely on a plan.

  Confirm

  • Medical or coroner requirements
  • Cooling and care needs
  • Transfer requirements
  • Required permits and registration
  • Cemetery or crematorium requirements
  • Which services require a licensed provider
  • Consumer Protection BC — funeral rights ↗
  • BC — what to do after a death ↗

• Ceremony without a traditional funeral

  A memorial, celebration, vigil or gathering can happen separately from the body’s disposition.

  Possible settings

  • Home
  • Community hall
  • Outdoors where permitted
  • Place of worship
  • Funeral home
  • Cemetery
  • A later gathering

Your funeral rights in BC

You can ask questions before agreeing to anything.

• Funeral homes and funeral directors must be licensed.
• You can ask for itemized options and pricing.
• You do not need to purchase every service offered.
• BC consumers may supply their own suitable casket or urn, subject to applicable requirements.
• Preneed contracts have specific rules and cancellation terms.
• Written disposition wishes should be recorded carefully and reviewed with the person who will have authority after death.

Questions to ask a provider

Take this list to any meeting.

🖨 Print the questions