In 1976 The Little Lake Cemetery Company established the first crematorium between Toronto and Ottawa . It is located within Highland Park Cemetery and serves Peterborough and its surrounding region.
What is the Cremation Process?
The deceased is enclosed in an appropriate casket or container and placed in the cremation chamber where through heat and evaporation the body is reduced to its basic elements, which are referred to as cremated remains. These remains should not be referred to as ashes since cremated remains have neither the appearance nor the chemical properties of ash, they are in fact bone fragments. After the cremation is completed, the cremated remains are placed in a pre-selected urn suitable for final placement in a niche or burial lot.
Is a casket required?
Required by the Ontario law, the human remains must be enclosed in a ridged combustible container. This container or casket must be strong enough to assure the health and safety of the funeral directors and the crematorium staff. The container must meet reasonable standards of respect and dignity.
Can cremated remains be interred in a grave?
Yes. The Little Lake Cemetery Company offers many options for those who prefer cremation. The cremated body can be interred in the ground or entombed in specially designed niches within a columbarium.
What if my spouse prefers cremation but I don't?
One option is to purchase a grave which would allow for interment of a casket, as well as an urn containing cremated remains.
How is a cremation memorial service different from a traditional funeral service?
Both types of services can be simple or as multifaceted to best serve the needs of the family. Quite often a memorial service is held after cremation has occurred and generally the family will gather at a convenient time for committal, or final placement of the cremated remains. However, a family has many choices available to them, such as a traditional funeral service with visitation and a service prior to cremation or just a visitation or a graveside service.
What choices of memorialization are available?
A final resting place for cremated remains can be provided in several ways. The urn may be placed in a columbarium, a structure comprised of several recessed compartments called niches. All outdoor niches are enclosed with solid granite shutters, the indoor niches are enclosed with a glass or bronze front. Each niche is memorialized with the name and dates of the deceased. Another option is the use of a traditional grave space, this allows for the possibility of more than two burials in one location, a common choice when one spouse chooses cremation and the other traditional casket burial. Also available are smaller lots allowing for the ground burial of two urns and a small flush marker memorial.