Natural Burial

While natural burial has existed for hundreds of years in Europe, it was not available in the GTA until 2012, when we opened the first natural burial grounds, at Meadowvale Cemetery, in Brampton.  In addition to our Meadowvale location we now have a second natural burial section, at Duffin Meadows Cemetery, in Pickering.

Natural burial allows the body to return to the earth as naturally as possible — without embalming and with a biodegradable casket, urn or shroud. To minimise environmental impact, memorialization is limited to an inscription on a central memorial.

Interment rights are available in our natural burial sections. They consist of single graves that can accommodate one casket and one biodegradable urn with ashes, or two biodegradable urns of ashes. Scattering ashes is not permitted in these sections.

Back to Nature

Natural burial requires taking into account the health and safety of our staff and visitors, while providing an option for natural burial. Our natural burial grounds are designed to let nature take its course, with natural grasses and self-seeding wildflowers. To encourage people to stay off the graves, the grounds are left to grow freely.  Likewise, we don’t permit tokens of remembrance, such as teddy bears, photographs or flowers, on the graves.  As an alternative, a central memorial feature area provides a peaceful spot to pay respects.