Budget-friendly Options

The least expensive option is to donate your body for medical education and research. In Halifax, Dalhousie University's Department of Medical Neuroscience accepts body donations. If you're admitted, it will cost you nothing. That's even better than a scholarship.

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The second least expensive disposition option is direct cremation, which includes a basic set of services for a fixed price at a crematorium in Halifax. Direct cremation skips the funeral home, which may triple the price for the same services. Different businesses may add services you don't want, so ask what's included. Instead of arranging a viewing and/or a service at a funeral home, your family might arrange a memorial event at a more celebratory location later. Karaoke? Barbecue at the beach?

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Different disposition methods (direct burial, green burial, direct cremation, etc.) have different costs across Canada, as noted in this chart and this chart. Across Nova Scotia, these charts indicate different costs in five cities here. Some companies (such as SCI/Dignity) provide itemized price lists on their website, while others expect you to register with them or visit them in person to obtain prices. The Canadian Consumer Handbook has a page on funeral expenses, with tips on questions to ask a company when you're shopping around. CBC has a similar article on cremation expenses.

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As a consumer, what should I watch out for?

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The Government of Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs provides a useful overview of different funeral options. Service Nova Scotia also provides an overview. Funerary businesses are governed by Nova Scotia Cemetery and Funeral Services Regulations. Service Nova Scotia is responsible for protecting your rights. This includes restrictions on companies soliciting you, your right to cancel a contract, and your ability to select individual products and services rather than a larger package.

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There are various reasons behind the transition from family-owned to corporate-owned funeral homes. Two corporations have almost a monopoly in Halifax, so your ability to compare businesses is limited. Service Corporation International (Dignity Memorial, based in Houston) and Arbor Memorial (based in Toronto) seek profits for their shareholders. Within this economic system, you are a consumer. Without competition to encourage lower prices, at least you can select services carefully. Are you more extravagant or frugal? Would you prefer to have a big funeral or to direct that money toward your family or a charity?

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​Consumer advocates recommend doing some advance planning on your own. You can make some general decisions about the kinds of goods and services you want - and also what you don't want. Include your organ donation wishes, too. Record some notes and pass them along to your next of kin. Then you can forget about it. This will avoid high anxiety and rushed decisions when the time comes. For details, see Your Travel Plans.

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​Consumer Reports recommends not purchasing a funeral services package in advance, as the company would invest your money and profit from it, probably for many years. Instead, you can set up your own savings account. Pre-arranged packages often are never used because they are forgotten, the person moves away, etc. If you are considering purchasing a funeral and/or cemetery package in advance, you should read the Nova Scotia government's summary of your rights and responsibilities.

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To understand some of the sales tactics at funeral homes, you may wish to view this video by CBC Marketplace. CBC used a hidden camera to reveal unethical practices at an Arbor Memorial funeral home in Toronto.

• "Funeral Home Markups and Upselling: Hidden Camera Investigation" (Canada, 2017); watch on YouTube

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Buyer beware! A salesperson may try these tactics:

• show you the most expensive option first (Instead, you can start with the least expensive option and go up from there, if you wish.)

• mention positive features but not negative ones

• imply that more expensive options are more socially acceptable

• imply that a casket or urn must be purchased from the company (No, you can purchase it on your own and arrange for it to be shipped.)

• imply that a service at their funeral home is more socially acceptable than a memorial event at another location later

• imply that certain goods and services are required, although they are not:

  • embalming and makeup

  • casket or urn purchase

  • viewing at the funeral home

  • service at the funeral home

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Two other revealing videos about funeral economics are:

• "60 Minutes: The High Cost of Dying - The Funeral Business" (USA, 1998); watch on YouTube

• "The Twisted Business of Death: The Funeral Industry" (USA, 2023); watch on YouTube (with ads)

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Is financial assistance available?

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Some Canadian provinces have non-profit memorial societies and funeral co-ops that arrange lower fees on behalf of their members. The largest is in British Columbia. In Nova Scotia, the only one is in Cape Breton.

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As with most businesses, it may be possible to negotiate services and fees directly with funeral and cemetery companies.

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If you (and your family) are unable to afford a basic disposition, you can apply for financial assistance from the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services. Depending on your employment history, you may also be eligible for a death benefit from the Canada Pension Plan.

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If you are from a First Nation, you can apply for financial assistance from Indigenous Services Canada.

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​If you are a Canadian veteran, you can check the Last Post Fund, a non-profit organization that has been operating since 1909. On behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada, it administers a funeral and burial program for veterans, depending on their military service and finances. In Halifax, there is a columbarium for veterans at Fairview Lawn Cemetery and a military section at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Fort Massey Cemetery, for military veterans, is no longer open to new burials.

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If you have no next of kin or family support, the Public Trustee of Nova Scotia will make arrangements for you. That's one of our safety nets.

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