Cemetery Events

1. Location and Cemetery Options
Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries provide designated natural burial area at Mount Hamilton Cemetery. It is important to visit to determine which area best aligns with your preferences. 

Some cemeteries may offer natural burial in specific sections, ensuring a peaceful and preserved environment similar to the Natural Burial Section at Mount Hamilton Cemetery, however the process of Natural Burial can be considered in various cemeteries or sections within most of our cemeteries.

2. Biodegradable Materials Requirement
One of the fundamental aspects of natural burial is the use of biodegradable materials. This means:

• No embalming fluids or only the use of eco-friendly alternatives (Green Embalming).
• Caskets must be made from sustainable materials such as untreated wood, wicker, bamboo, or cardboard.
• Burial shrouds made of natural fibres like cotton, linen, or wool are permitted as an alternative to caskets. A solid base with handles is a requirement for shroud burials.
• Cremation interment is allowed with a biodegradable or eco-friendly urn.

3. Grave Markers and Memorialization
Unlike traditional cemeteries with elaborate headstones, natural burial sites emphasize minimal disruption to the landscape. Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries offers:

• A communal memorial stone for those buried within the natural burial section.
• The option of planting native trees as a living memorial – memorial tree and plaque program.

4. Environmental and Conservation Considerations
Natural burial supports conservation efforts and helps maintain green spaces. Some sites are designed to blend seamlessly into nature, encouraging local wildlife and preserving biodiversity. When choosing a natural burial, consider:

• Whether the cemetery follows a long-term conservation plan.
• The potential for tree and plant growth in the burial area.
• Any restrictions on non-biodegradable decorations or personal tributes.

5. Preplanning and Costs
Planning a natural burial in advance can alleviate stress for loved ones and ensure your wishes are honored. While natural burials tend to be more affordable than traditional burials due to fewer material requirements, costs may vary depending on:

• The cemetery and specific burial plot.
• Whether you choose a simple shroud or a biodegradable casket.
• Memorialization options.
• Natural Burial with Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries allows for pre-planning and pre-payment of  your cemetery arrangements.

6. Legal and Municipal Regulations
Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries follow municipal and provincial regulations for natural burials. Before making arrangements, be sure to:

• Understand any restrictions regarding embalming or burial depth.
• Understand the number and types of interment options available in the Natural Brial Section
• Ensure your family is aware of and comfortable with the guidelines of natural burial.

7. Cultural and Religious Considerations
Natural burial may align with certain cultural or religious traditions that emphasize simplicity and returning to nature. If you have specific spiritual or religious preferences, check with cemetery staff to ensure your needs can be accommodated within the natural burial section.

8. Emotional and Personal Reflection
Choosing a natural burial is a deeply personal decision. It reflects a commitment to sustainability and a desire for a more organic return to the earth. Consider discussing your choices with family and loved ones to ensure they understand your wishes and can support your decision when the time comes.

Conclusion
A natural burial at Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries offers a peaceful, eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial methods. By understanding the available options, legal considerations, and environmental benefits, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your values and ensures a meaningful final resting place.

For more information or to visit a natural burial site, reach out to Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries to explore how they can assist you in making this important choice. Visit the Natural Burial Information Session and Open House at Mount Hamilton Cemetery to view the area and ask questions about the various options and choices.

One of the largest municipal cemetery organizations in Canada and serving families for over 150 years, Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries operate 69 sites across the greater Hamilton area.
Today’s choice for lasting remembrance offer opportunities to make a statement about the unique nature of a loved one’s life. Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries provide an opportunity for loving tributes that reflects personality, comforts loved ones and preserves family history and heritage for generations to come, says Moroz in a recent interview with The Hamilton Spectator.

“Losing a loved one is never easy, but we can help carry the burdens of families as they go through the most difficult days of their lives.” Traditional burials have always been popular but in recent years, there has been a rise in cremation services as well.

Moroz attributes this to the fact that there are so many more options in cremation than there were previously. It’s not that it’s more ‘affordable’, but rather that people are more knowledgeable about the many choices and pre-planning one’s own funeral is also on the rise – both contributing factors. “Our goal is make sure people understand the many options available to them during such a difficult time,” Moroz adds.

If cremation is your choice, Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries offers several interment options. Cremation is not a disposition, but rather a method of preparing the remains for memorialization. They are still human remains and should be placed in a dedicated location, he says.

Some of the options available for cremation include:

• Ground Burial of Cremated Remains
  There are special sections in the cemetery specifically designated for cremated remains. The cremation garden located in Woodland Cemetery for instance, offers a resting place to reflect the beauty and vibrancy of one’s life.  Cremated remains can also be buried in traditional single or double lots in all of our Cemeteries provided space is available and permissions are in place

• Columbarium
  A permanent, above-ground structure that includes many spaces or niches for cremated human remains. A granite faceplate, which is finished with a bronze plaque or engraved granite allows the opportunity to memorialize your loved one. Some niches are surrounded with beautiful gardens and tranquil paths.

• Cremation Benches & Family Estate Niches
  A place with special meaning. Families planning their cremation estates have a variety of options available for the interment of cremated remains — including benches, family estate niches and columbariums. A cremation bench marks the gravesite of the deceased and serves as both a memorial and a place to rest, relax, and remember, while a family estate niche provides for the interment of family members in a small private niche that can provide opportunity for personalization and memorialization.

• Natural Burial Options
  An alternative may be the natural burial options at Mount Hamilton Cemetery. These cremation options include burial of an eco-friendly urn or scattering of ashes in the Scattering Garden. Natural Burial Section provides a common memorialization and a natural settings and gardens. The Natural Burial section is in the design and implementation phase. Families wishing to learn more can contact Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries.

Regardless of what you choose, says Moroz, the team at Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries is always willing to help with a caring, no-pressure approach to help you find the option to best suit you and your family for years to come. 

For more information, call 905-546-4704.

The Bereavement Professionals are here for you, trying to make funerals and graveside service meaningful. The grief process does not pause for a pandemic. The rituals and traditions of funerals, graveside services, and gathering with friends and family are vitally important to dealing with grief.

Funerals are meaningful and are essential rites of passage. Funerals have helped us acknowledge the reality of a death, remember the person who has died, support one another and mark the significance of a life that was well lived. Funerals provide us an avenue to grieve and heal.

The pandemic has changed the way we say goodbye. The limitations of public gatherings have limited the number of people coming together for the funeral or graveside service. There are no memorial services and celebrations of life with friends and family members. It is important that each family has the opportunity to say goodbye, to grieve, to celebrate a life and to start the healing process.

We understand that funeral and cemetery planning may be much more difficult right now. We hope the following ideas will help you find ways to address any hurdles you may be encountering.

Celebrate a life on line:

• Use technology to live stream the funeral service in the chapel or at the graveside. This will allow friends and family members who could not be there in person, be part of the funeral

• Create a memory wall of photos, tributes, and stories. Utilize the many online options to engage family and friends in sharing memories

• Use social media to share photos and memories of loved ones. Facebook allows for Memorialized accounts that can be a place for friends and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away.

Plan for after the pandemic

• Once physical distancing regulations have been relaxed, plan a larger celebration of life or a meaningful service.

• Celebrate a person’s life by participating in the persons favorite sport, travel location or meal that can be shared with family and friends

Don’t forget to reach out to each other. Use telephone, email or virtual tools to connect and stay in touch. Send a card or note to family and friends. Use the internet to access resources and gain ideas and ways to celebrate a life well lived.

Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries holds a special Remembering, A Holiday Memorial Service each December. This is an opportunity to reflect and pay tribute to the loved ones  in our lives. We extend a special invitation to all families, to join us in Remembering.

What most people do not know about Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries;

• Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries is one of North America’s oldest and largest Municipally owned Cemeteries entrusted with 70 cemetery locations across our community.

• Not just for casket burial, we offer many options for cremation interment (niches, Columbariums, cremation benches and family niches).

• We will be offering Hamilton’s only Natural Burial Section at Mount Hamilton Cemetery

• We are steep in history. Take one of our free historical walking tours and discover the history and stories in the stones

Cemeteries are among the most valuable of historical resources. They are reminders of various settlement patterns, and can reveal information about historic events, religions, lifestyles, and genealogy.

Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries offers the Stories in the Stones historical walking tours each year. Every Saturday from May till mid-November, local Historian Robin McKee guides you through the history and stories. Each tour is themed and looks at the War of 1812 to Disasters to the Power of Women. History comes alive.

Cemeteries were the first parks
Cemeteries were the first parks. Prior to the early 19th century, there were certainly burial grounds where bodies were interred, often attached to churches or on a family homestead. But what arose starting with Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1831, was a planned, managed space. Cemeteries provided the public with beautiful outdoor gathering spaces during a time when parks were still on the horizon of city planning.

Today our cemeteries are horticultural delights! Hamilton Cemetery has a large variety of trees and plant material. The gardens carefully planned to create a beautiful landscaped park like setting with unique and rare plant material. Walk the grounds and explore the Trillium Award winning gardens.