How Direct Cremation Works
A step-by-step guide for Ontario families.
What Happens, Step by Step
Most families do not know exactly what happens after someone passes away, and you should not be expected to. Our role is to guide you through each stage and explain what needs to happen next.
Every situation is different, but direct cremation generally follows the seven steps below. In most cases, the cremation is completed within 1 to 2 days, and arrangements can be made remotely.
Contact, Transfer and Arrangements
Step 1: Contact us
Call 343-227-2393, day or night. Tell us:
- Where the person passed away
- Whether the death was expected
- Whether they are at a hospital, care residence, home or elsewhere
- Whether medical professionals or the coroner are involved
- Your relationship to the person who died
If you do not know all the answers, that is fine. We will help work out what is needed.
Step 2: Transfer into our care
Once the person has been pronounced and released, we bring them into our care, including after hours. We coordinate with hospitals, long-term care and retirement residences, hospices, home-care teams, police or the coroner as needed. Transfers within 50 km are included in our price.
Step 3: Complete the arrangements
The authorized person provides information about the deceased and confirms the arrangements. Remote arrangements are included; in-person meetings are available for an additional fee. We will ask for details such as:
- Full legal name, date and place of birth, and address
- Marital status and spouse information
- Parents’ names and occupation
- Other information required for registration
Paperwork and Cremation
Step 4: Documentation and registration
Several steps must be completed before a cremation can proceed in Ontario. We prepare and file the documentation, including:
- Medical certification of the death
- The Statement of Death and registration of the death
- The burial permit
- The coroner’s certificate to cremate, which Ontario requires before any cremation
- The signed cremation authorization
This paperwork, and the related government fees, are included in our price.
Step 5: Cremation
Once all documentation and authorizations are complete, the cremation takes place at Pinecrest Crematorium. In most cases this is within 1 to 2 days; for rush service, speak with a funeral director.
The deceased is placed in a cremation container, and identification and tracking procedures protect the identity of the person in our care throughout. During cremation, intense heat reduces the body to bone fragments, which are then carefully processed into what families call ashes or cremated remains.
Start with the immediate next step. Call 343-227-2393, explain what has happened, and we will guide you from there.
Return of the Remains, and What Comes Next
Step 6: The cremated remains are prepared
The cremated remains are placed in the urn you have selected and released to the authorized person. Urns are selected separately; a temporary urn is $60, and delivery within 35 km is available for $85.
Step 7: Decide what happens next
There is no deadline. Families may:
- Keep the urn at home
- Hold a memorial or celebration of life
- Inter the urn at a cemetery or place it in a columbarium
- Scatter the remains where permitted
- Divide the remains among family members
Take the time you need. If a death has just occurred, see what to do when a death occurs. For pricing, see cremation costs in Ottawa, and for more answers, our cremation FAQ.
Has a Death Just Occurred?
You do not need to know exactly what to do before contacting us. Tell us what has happened, and we will help you understand the next step.
This page is general information, not legal, medical, tax, estate or financial advice. Requirements and options vary by situation. Modest Cremation Alternative Inc., 2037 McGee Side Road, Carp, ON K0A 1L0. Licensed by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, licence TS1-0014812.