Cremation

"I want to be cremated." If this is you or your loved one, the decision for cremation over burial has been made. We continue to offer both options at James Reid's. Find information about our Basic Cremation, the lowest cost option, here. 

There are actually two parts to cremation, as there are two parts to burial:

  • how the body is cared for in death
  • how the person is memorialized by the living

Part One: How The Body is Cared for in Death:

How is the body cared for if cremation is chosen? Most people are familiar with the concept of "ashes" as the result of cremation. The technical terms is "cremated remains." Cremation is the process of reducing the human body using high heat and flame to cremated remains.  At James Reid Funeral Home, we have our own onsite Crematorium monitored by the Ministry of the Environment. Therefore, we bring your loved one here, take care of him or her right here, and produce almost zero emissions in the process. 

We offer the family a time & place to be with their deceased family member one last time. Family Time is what we call it. A funeral director prepares the deceased in the cremation container or casket that has been purchased. The container or casket is draped in a quilt and placed in a comfortable suite--the same suites you may have been to before for a visitation or wake. But Family Time is a private time for family members to say goodbye. It is not required, as a photo may be submitted instead for identification purposes. Family Time is provided at no cost.  Unless a family asks for embalming prior, the deceased is not embalmed. 

Why do this? As with viewing prior to burial, identification of your loved one's body can help psychologically to understand that death has really occurred. It helps build continuing bonds between the living and the deceased. If you have been with your loved one recently, you may not need Family Time. It is up to you.

Our Crematorium also has a Viewing Area with safety glass windows.. From the Viewing Area, the family may view the cremation container being placed into the retort by the operator.

Our licensed Funeral Directors are certified Crematorium Operators, so the same personable professionals you talk with in the funeral home are the same ones carrying out your cremation wishes. The staff at James Reid Funeral Home will care for all the necessary documentation and transportation plus the cremation and disposition of the cremated remains.

Is a casket required for cremations? Ontario’s law requires that at a minimum, the deceased must be placed into a rigid combustible container. We make a container for basic cremations and also carry simple containers. Another option is a rental casket. A rental casket has an insert that slides out after the service, so that the casket itself is not cremated. Also, wooden and cloth caskets may be cremated, a good choice when visitation and/or a funeral service comes before cremation.

cremation container and wood casket and urns in James Reid Selection Room

The "ashes", which we call "cremated remains," are put into a plastic container to give to you. An urn may be selected for the final disposition of the cremated remains. 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. Design your own urn with Eturnal Memorials!

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. Jewelry is another way to share cremated remains.

We offer a wide variety of cremation products such as urns, urn vaults for the burial of an urn, keepsake urns you can take home and cremation jewelry and cuddle stones. We will transfer the cremated remains into any or all of these as you direct us.

Eturnal Memorials custom 3D printed urns

What can you do with the cremated remains?

  • Burial: the cremated remains may be buried in an existing cemetery plot or a new plot may be purchased. Cremated remains may not be buried anywhere else. 
  • Inurnment:the urn may be placed in a niche in an above ground structure called a columbarium. Burial and Inurnment are sanctioned practices of the Catholic church.
  • Scattering: Cremated remains may be scattered on private or crown property, 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. To scatter, the container must be opened.
  • Keeping: many people prefer to have the urn at home with them. Smaller urns and cremation jewelry allow for cremated remains to be divided and kept by more than one. 
  • 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.

marble urn on a table at front of contemporary stained glass arches in chapel

Part Two: How the Person is Memorialized by the Living

"I don't want anyone to make a fuss over me." Perhaps you've thought this? It's one of those counter-intuitive things in life, like putting on your mask before your child's in an airplane emergency: you can help others better when you make a little "fuss" over yourself. The reason is that it's hard on the living when their people die, and saying goodbye helps them. James Reid Funeral Home has a 166 year history of leading gatherings for people to memorialize a person who has died. Today as ever, doing "Something" helps families, communities and individuals to process death in healthy ways.

Memorialization with cremation can be a private graveside service. It can be a visitation and/or funeral service in our chapel or your church or. Cremation lends itself well to Celebrations of Life in our chapel or Reception & Celebration Centre. An urn of cremated remains may be present if cremation has taken place, and if cremation will take place after the service, the body may be present in a casket or cremation container. Photos, sports jerseys, quilts, carvings and toys may also represent your person who has died in vivid ways. 

We know that funerals are for the living. We want to make a gathering work for you, with your unique perspectives. Please Contact Us with your thoughts, and consider your Funeral Options here.

What to Do Now? 

If someone has died or is about to die, with empathy for your pain we suggest you call us at 613-544-3411. One of our professional Funeral Directors will speak with you at all times. We respond to email at info@jamesreidfuneralhome.com from 8am to 10pm, daytime or evening.

If you are making cremation plans for yourself or someone else, you may fill in the necessary information here and start your own file online. Call us or email heather@jamesreidfuneralhome.com,  and our Pre-Planning Funeral Director Heather Jackson will send you all our options and together you can build a quote.  We do not pressure anyone, but look to serve your family for generations.  

spiral staircase in James Reid lobby leading to Selection Room

Cremation FAQ

Is Cremation Environmentally Responsible?

Not at all crematoriums. Our Crematorium was built in 2014 and follows high environmental standards, monitored by the Ministry of the Environment. Our crematorium creates almost no emissions, unlike older crematoriums. Ours creates no smoke, no harmful toxins, no unhealthy byproducts other than CO2 from the natural gas used as fuel, approximately $4.00 per cremation in Carbon Tax in January 2019. 

What Does Cremation Cost?

Basic Cremation has increased in popularity, as has Cremation along with a Memorial Service or Celebration of Life, for many reasons, one of which is cost. Typically, cremation is less expensive than burial. There are coroner fees to authorize the cremation,  municipal fees to register it; the casket or cremation container, the cremation itself; an urn to purchase if desired and possible costs of burial or inurnment of the cremated remains. "Family Time" goodbye time is included. Our "Simply JR" Basic Cremation costs are our lowest, competitive with transfer and cremation services. 

Yet, cremation is not a type of funeral service. For years, people were cremated after a funeral service in their wood casket, which is still possible today. Now many people don't want to burn a nice casket, so are choosing a simple container for the cremation and then a nice urn that reflects the person. Gatherings of all sorts go along with cremation. Our pricelist is available at James Reid Funeral Home, and our funeral directors will give you a quote over the phone or by email and be happy to meet with you. 

I'm Religious: Is Cremation Okay?

Some religions welcome cremation, while others forbid it.  The Catholic Church had previously banned cremation up until 1963, and burial remains the preferred form of disposition today.  In other Christian denominations, cremation was historically discouraged but is now more widely accepted. In eastern religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, cremation is mandated. In Islam, it is strictly forbidden.  Orthodox Jews also forbid cremation, while other sects of Judaism support cremation; however, burial remains the preferred option. 

How can I be sure I receive the correct remains?

James Reid Crematorium has developed a rigorous set of operating policies and procedures in order to maximize the level of service offered.  Since it is illegal to perform more than one cremation at a time, and the vast majority of crematories can only cremate one body at a time, it is next to impossible to receive the incorrect remains.

How long does the actual cremation take?

It all depends on the weight of the individual.  For an average sized adult, cremation can take two to three hours at a normal operating temperature of between 1,000 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

What do the cremated remains look like?

Cremated remains resemble coarse sand and are whitish to light grey in color.  The remains of an average sized adult usually weighs between three and six pounds.

Are all the cremated remains returned?

With the exception of minute and microscopic particles, which are impossible to remove from the cremation chamber and processing machine, all of the cremated remains are given back to the family.