Cremation

Decomposition of the body in the earth (after burial) is the slow oxidation of the body tissues.

Cremation provides rapid oxidation. Through the application in intense heat the body is reduced to its more basic elements.

No casket is legally required for cremation, just a simple container, which is strong enough to hold the body. This could be a simple plywood box, a combination container of a plywood base and cardboard top and sides, pressboard,  heavy cardboard covered in cloth or a casket, your choice.

Our crematorium require the container to be combustible.

Cremation Choices

If the body is cremated before or after the service:

1. The remains can be stored by the family
2. You may take the remains in the simple cardboard box supplied by the crematory and distribute ("scatter") them over the land or water (check you local laws).
3. The remains can be placed in a niche within a columbarium.
4. The remains can be buried in the ground in a regular plot or in a smaller cremation plot.
5. The remains can be entombed in a crypt within a mausoleum.

Here are some other reasons you might choose cremation:

• Cremation is traditional in your family, religious group, or geographical area
• You prefer the body to be reduced to its natural elements
• You have environmental concerns (Keep in mind the Gas used for cremation)
• You want to keep the costs down
  • Selecting cremation does not mean, however, that you will have an inexpensive funeral.
  • You might still choose an expensive casket and/or a viewing, and/or decide to have the cremated remains buried in the ground or placed in a columbarium. These choices can bring your costs up to those of a traditional funeral.

Decisions you must make if you choose cremation

• Whether to use an urn or container
• What to do with the remains

If you are distributing the remains

Some jurisdictions have laws prohibiting the scattering of remains; others require a permit. Ask your funeral director. (In Manitoba it is Illegal to place cremated remains in a Provincial Park waterway)

Think of places that were especially loved by the deceased, close to home or far away. You can walk in the woods, by a favorite lake, or on the old family farm (keep in mind that future owners may change the landscape of the property).

Be sure to ask permission if you want to use private property.

What about using the remains to create new life, by planting a tree? Some survivors choose to mix the remains with the soil in flowerbeds and rose gardens at home. Every time the roses bloom, you will be reminded of your loved one.

*If you decide to do this, however, consider what will happen if, some day, you move away.