Cremation & Burial
Natural Burial
Contact Us
Cemeteries Administrative Office
777 York Boulevard
Hamilton, Ontario L8R 2A4
Call 905-546-4704 or
Email [email protected]
Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Natural burial (Green Burial) is becoming increasingly popular as an eco-friendlier burial option. It is a way of caring for the deceased with minimal environmental impacts, conserving natural resources, reducing carbon emissions and preserving land.
Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries has opened Hamilton’s first natural burial section at Mount Hamilton Cemetery. The section will provide individuals and families the option of burial interment, cremation interment and a designated scattering garden. Pathways have been established to allow visitors to reflect and remember those buried or scattered in this section. Communal memorials will also provide an opportunity for memorialization.
The Natural Burial Section at Mount Hamilton Cemetery signifies a return to our roots, a return to the earth itself. In this sacred space, our loved ones will find their final resting place in biodegradable materials, without chemical embalming. Over time, the area will be planted with natural vegetation, allowing their bodies to return to the earth organically, becoming a part of the vibrant ecosystem that surrounds us.
This eco-friendly burial option reflects our commitment to environmental sustainability and our responsibility to future generations. Natural burials offer a serene and natural setting for those who have passed on, while also contributing to the preservation of the environment for those who will follow in our footsteps.
Mount Hamilton’s Natural Burial Section
- Natural burial - biodegradable wood or wicker casket or shroud
- Cremation burial – biodegradable urn
- Cremation Scattering Garden
- Pre-planning is available with no interest payment plans for up to 24 months
Human remains to be interred within the Natural Burial Section shall be free from embalming solutions, prosthetics and any other non-naturally occurring elements.
Scattering Garden – Natural Burial Section
The scattering of cremated remains is a personal and often meaningful way to honor and remember a loved one. A scattering garden, also known as a scattering area, is a designated space within a cemetery where the ashes or cremated remains of a deceased person are scattered. It is an alternative to traditional burial and provides a peaceful and natural setting for families to honor their loved ones.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Scattering Fee | $470 |
| Memorialization - Inscription of name on memorial | $375 (optional) |
| Scattering Tube | $130 (optional) |
| BAO Fee | $30 |
| Total | $1010 + HST |
Cremation Lots – Natural Burial Section
Natural cremation interment in a Natural Burial Cremation Lot is an eco-friendly and meaningful way to lay a person's cremated remains to rest. It involves the interment of the ashes in a manner that promotes environmental sustainability and personal significance. A environmentally friendly urn can be used and the remains are buried.
Number of Interments
A maximum of one interment of cremated human remains in a cremation lot.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cremation Lot | $1,195 |
| Interment Fee (Opening/closing) | $520 |
| Memorialization | $725 (optional) |
| Unity Heart Urn | $305 (optional) |
| BAO Fee | $30 |
| Total | $2,775 + HST |
Payment Program (Pre-need only) - 24 Months no interest or service fees.
Burial Lots – Natural Burial Section
A natural burial is a departure from the conventional funeral and burial process. Instead of elaborate caskets, embalming fluids, and manicured cemetery landscapes, it embraces the idea of returning the body to the earth in a way that fosters the natural decomposition process and supports the surrounding ecosystem.
Number of Interments
A maximum of one (1) interment of human remains that are not cremated and one (1) interment of cremated human remains, or two (2) cremated remains may be buried in each lot within the Natural Burial Section.
The interment of human remains that are not cremated shall be performed at standard depth.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Burial Grave | $2,580 |
| Interment Fee (Opening/closing) | $1,305 |
| Memorialization | $725 (optional) |
| BAO Fee | $30 |
| Total | $4,640 + HST |
Payment Program (Pre-need only) - 24 Months no interest or service fees.
Read the Natural Burial
Frequently Asked Questions
The Natural Burial Section at Mount Hamilton Cemetery is now available. The Natural Burial Section can provide at-need cemetery arrangements as well as pre-arrangements.
Yes, you can pre-arrange your cemetery arrangements for the Naturail Burial Section. Pre-planning allows to purchase cemetery property and services at current prices that are locked in. You can also take advantage of 12 & 24 months payment program that is interest free.
The casket must be made of sustainable and fully biodegradable materials. This can be a simple wooden pine or poplar box, woven willow, bamboo or wicker container. Many Funeral Providers offer a variety of casket choices.
Yes, a shroud can be used made of unbleached cotton fabric, linen, silk, wool or bamboo. The shrouded body needs to have a backing board of some sort to be able to carry and lower the body into the grave. The backing board should also be made of biodegradable material.
Yes, cremation interment will be allowed. The container or urn must be made of biodegradable materials (unpainted unvarnished wood, cardboard, bamboo). Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries will offer a selection of urns that can be used for cremation interment.
No, there are no individual memorials allowed on the graves, but a central feature or memorial will provide an opportunity for memorialization.
Yes, we are able to do year round interments.
It is similar. Natural burial returns the body to the earth in a protected green space so the body can contribute to the earth’s renewal. The body is buried in a biodegradable casket or shroud in a natural burial ground. We do use equipment to dig the burial space unlike Green Burial.
Green Burial does not allow cremation interment. Natural Burial does allow for cremation interment as long as the urn or container is bio degradable. Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries will compensate for the use of fossil fuels during the cremation process, by lowering our carbon footprint and planting trees.
It is strongly recommended that you investigate your local death care options in advance and contact funeral homes or transfer services ahead of time to familiarize yourself with their options. To know your rights as a consumer in Ontario, see the Bereavement Authority of Ontario’s Consumer Information Guide.
Human remains to be interred within the Natural Burial Section shall be free from embalming solutions, prosthetics and any other non-naturally occurring elements.
No person shall place live or artificial plant material on a grave within the Natural Burial Section. To preserve the natural setting, no person shall place an article of any kind within the Natural Burial Section.
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