WATCH: The rising cost of funerals and burials is causing some Canadians to change their traditions. Asa Rehman reports.
VANCOUVER – Metro Vancouver not only has a high cost of living, but dying is also getting expensive.
“Burial prices and burial rates for traditional burial plots and cremated burial options have gone up with increasing land values in the Lower Mainland,” said Peter Nobes, director of Catholic Cemeteries.
“So it certainly is a concern to families faced with an at-need death or planning for the future.”
Nobes said the price of a burial plot in Metro Vancouver can vary from $3,000 to $20,000, adding that the price for a plot for cremated remains is about a quarter or a third of that cost.
However, that is prompting more and more families to scatter the ashes but the public is being warned about that practice.
“The majority of people over the age of 40 have created a will or an estate plan and we’d just like to encourage people to reflect on their choices and include a pre-made burial arrangement with their estate plan,” said Nobes.
“It really states your preferences for your family, your loved ones, so at the time of death there’s no confusion about what your preferences may be.”
He said he would prefer people not scatter ashes of their loved ones in public parks or in the wilderness.
“It certainly is illegal for the body,” said Nobes, “the guideline is you must have permission from a municipality or private land owner to scatter cremated remains. However, I don’t think that is a well-known fact and also I think a number of people may take it for granted.”
For more information you can check out noscatteringplease.org.
Comments