What to do with the ashes of a loved one following the cremation of the deceased’s body? This is one of the most common questions asked of funeral homes and one of the most frequently asked questions on the web. Crématorium Montreal offers you a few options as well as information on what you need to know before choosing the final resting place for your loved one.

The decision of the deceased comes first

Before you even consider the options available to you, it is important to note that the deceased may have already chosen what to do with his/her ashes in his/her Last Will and Testament. If this information is not included in that document, it will then be up to the family to make the decision.

The choice of urn

Regardless of the choice made by the deceased or the family, the ashes must be placed in an urn in order to leave the funeral home with which you have dealt. Wood, metal, stone, ceramic, glass, resin, salt, sand, paper or recycled cardboard—there are many different materials and designs to meet your needs or to honour the memory of the deceased. They are also available in all shapes and sizes. The type of urn will depend on what you choose to do with the ashes.

What do we do with them next?

There are many ways to dispose of the ashes of a departed loved one, depending on one’s values and beliefs. You can:

Keep the ashes at home
Sometimes, the family just wants to keep the urn at home in a simple way. In this case, the urn is placed in a special location for contemplation or merely in plain sight with a photo. It is also possible to use the ashes to make decorative objects such as reliquaries. At Crématorium Montréal, we offer a wide variety of reliquaries at our online shop.

Burial of ashes in a cemetery
A more traditional option is to bury the urn in a family plot or to purchase a plot in a cemetery. In this way, the family can pay their respects in front of a monument, in the same way as a traditional burial. It is important to know that it is against the law to bury an urn anywhere other than in a cemetery.

Display the urn in a columbarium
The columbarium is a peaceful, serene place where urns can be stored or displayed in glass cases. Much like a cemetery, the columbarium is an indoor or outdoor place of remembrance that family members can visit to pay their respects to their deceased loved one.

Scatter the ashes in nature
In Quebec, it is permitted to scatter the ashes of a deceased person in nature, as long as they do not constitute a nuisance and the scattering is not done in a way that could compromise the dignity of the deceased. There is no need to let the ashes blow away in the wind; you may dispose of the ashes of the deceased in an ecological way, thanks to biodegradable urns made of salt, sand, paper, etc., if it has environmental properties.

In short, for any questions or to help you choose the best option according to your needs, customs, values and traditions, or those of a loved one, consult the advisors at Crématorium Montréal. Our dedicated team is used to dealing with these types of questions and will be able to guide you.