How to plan your own funeral in Canada
Death is never an easy subject to think about, especially your own death. But sometimes confronting an uncomfortable topic ahead of time can be a great gift to your family and friends. This post will cover how to plan your own funeral and make your wishes known in case something unforeseen happens. We hope it helps give you and your loved ones peace of mind.
Why plan your own funeral
Many people recognise the importance of sharing their funeral wishes with loved ones in advance, but these conversations are often postponed or avoided because they are uncomfortable.
Planning your own funeral might be the last thing you want to contemplate, but there are many logistical and business issues you’ll need to address. Doing some legwork in advance can ease the burden on your loved ones, especially financially.
“One of the most overlooked parts of funeral planning is how much it can cost, and how your loved ones will be able to pay for services that can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars,” explains Gail Rubin, a death educator and author of the book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die. She emphasises that it’s important to be an informed consumer when it comes to planning your funeral.
What to get in order
Rubin advises people to make sure they organise all of their important papers and give the information to a trusted family member.
“If you suddenly dropped off the face of the planet, your family will need to be able to contact your executor, lawyer, financial advisor, insurance agent, banker, other professional advisors, as well as family and friends. A master list with those names and numbers will save loved ones a lot of stress,” she says.
Make your wishes known
Rubin advises putting some thought into what you would like to plan for your own funeral, which can save your family the stress of having to guess and make decisions at a time when they need to focus on grieving.
“Your loved ones need a sense of what you might want for your ‘good goodbye,’” Rubin says. “Would you want burial, cremation, donating your body to science? If cremation, what happens to your remains? What about some kind of gathering so people can start the process of learning to live without you? Funerals are now ‘celebrations of life.’”
For families who choose body donation for scientific research, Canadian university medical school programmes, including those at the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, and McGill University, typically cover transportation and cremation costs, with cremated remains returned to the family after a year or more, depending on the institution.
Include your online presence in your funeral pre-planning
When a person dies, their online life continues, and this can be an invitation to fraud, warns Rubin. Among your important papers, be sure to include all your usernames and passwords for social media and other online accounts.
“You need to know the extent of a person’s online life to avoid hacking and identity theft of the dead. About a third of today’s deceased persons are victims of ID theft. It’s vital to shut down social media accounts and other online accounts, and avoid putting too much detail in obituaries,” says Rubin, adding that she keeps an up-to-date printed spreadsheet of sites, user names, passwords, and notes about automatic account billing.
Prepaid funeral plans in Canada
A prepaid funeral plan, also called a pre-need plan, is a contract with a funeral home that allows you to arrange and pay for funeral services in advance, often helping lock in today’s prices for eligible goods and services. In Canada, prepaid funeral plans are regulated at the provincial level to help protect consumers. For example, British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta each have legislation governing how prepaid funeral funds must be held and managed. Because requirements can change, you should verify the current rules on the relevant provincial government website before purchasing a plan. When comparing providers, confirm that:
- your funds will be held in a regulated trust;
- you understand what happens if the funeral home closes or changes ownership;
- and the plan can be transferred if you move.
As an alternative, some families choose to build a GoFundMe memorial savings fundraiser, allowing friends and family to contribute flexibly without entering into a long-term contract.
How crowdfunding can help
One of the major benefits of funeral pre-planning is that you can start putting money aside to help ease any future financial burden on your loved ones. But what if there’s an unexpected death in the family and you need to pay for a funeral unexpectedly? Or need to get help with funeral costs?
Crowdfunding can be an important financial tool in the event of a sudden loss. Crowdfunding on GoFundMe can help your family through one of life’s most difficult times.
Take the time to plan ahead
Funeral planning is one of those rites of passage in life that most of us go through. If you’ve already been through the process of planning one for someone else, especially if you weren’t sure about their wishes, then you can understand the value of planning your own funeral.
Even if it’s difficult, have conversations with loved ones about your final wishes, and be sure to share copies of important documents and passwords. At the same time, make sure you have your family members’ information and an understanding of their final wishes. Above all, remember that there is no one right formula for these conversations or your planning.
For more information, see our posts coping with death: tips from professionals, the cost of funeral services, funeral savings guide, and how to get help with burial expenses.
Planning your own funeral is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for the people you love. It removes uncertainty at a difficult time, helps your family honour your wishes, and can reduce the financial burden they would otherwise face. Whether you choose a prepaid funeral plan, document your preferences, or ask loved ones to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser, taking any step forward is better than none.
How to plan your own funeral in Canada FAQs
Pre-planning a funeral does not necessarily cost anything upfront. The process of documenting your wishes, organising your papers, and making your preferences known is free. If you choose to prepay for services through a funeral home pre-need contract, costs will vary depending on the services selected and your province. Prices are generally similar to current funeral costs at the time of signing, which in Canada range from approximately CAD $1,500 for direct cremation to CAD $15,000 or more for a traditional burial with full services, according to Haven Casket. Verify current pricing at your local funeral home and ask for an itemised price list before signing any contract.
In most Canadian provinces, prepaid funeral funds are required by law to be held in a regulated trust, separate from the funeral home’s operating funds, specifically to protect consumers if the funeral home closes or changes ownership. In Ontario, for example, funds must be held in trust under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act. Before signing a prepaid contract, confirm with the funeral home how your funds will be held and what protections apply in your province. Contact your provincial consumer protection office if you have concerns.
Yes. Some families start a GoFundMe fundraiser as a flexible alternative to a formal prepaid funeral plan. Supporters can contribute on their own timeline, and funds are accessible when needed without the contractual restrictions of a pre-need plan. This approach works particularly well for families who want to pool contributions from a wider network.