You might be surprised to learn that, for an eco-conscious place, Vancouver has relatively few green burial options. Unfortunately, it’s also a city where the land is in very high demand, which limits the availability of burial plots.
However, if you’re interested in planning a green burial in Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, or Vancouver Island, we’ve put together a guide for you in this blog post. First up, we’ll talk about how green burial is defined. Then, we’ll share some tips on what to look for when working with a funeral home or death care business, and name some of the cemeteries in and around Vancouver that do green burial. Finally, we’ll close off with a few other things you may wish to consider when planning a green burial.
What is Green Burial?
The modern green burial movement began in the UK in the 1990s, but over the years has become international in scope. Green burial is really a set of five principles that support and advocate for more sustainable funeral and burial practices:
Principle #1: No embalming: Bodies that are not embalmed can still be prepared in a dignified way for burial and viewing, but will decompose without adding chemicals to the earth.
Principle #2: Direct earth burial: Bodies can be wrapped in biodegradable shrouds and/or placed into a biodegradable casket or similar container, ideally as locally sourced as possible. They are then buried directly in the ground.
Principle #3: Ecological restoration and conservation: After a green burial, the surface of the grave is allowed to settle before being restored with locally indigenous species of grasses and plants, ideally one that integrates seamlessly into the surrounding ecosystem. Burial grounds are also preserved and protected by covenants, protective easements, and other enforceable guarantees to ensure that the site will never be repurposed.
Principle #4: Simple memorialization: Memorialization should be simple and visually appropriate to the burial site. Communal memorialization is preferred to individual memorization, but both should use simple, natural, and locally sourced materials. Ultimately, the green burial site as a whole is intended to act as a living memorial to those interred there.
Principle #5: Optimized land use: Green burial cemeteries make the most of the land they occupy and include minimal infrastructure. Grave re-use is practiced where permitted.
As the Green Burial Society of Canada puts it, “Green Burial is a statement of personal values for those who seek to minimize their impact on the local and global environment. For people who are mindful of the cyclical nature of life, green burial is a spiritually fulfilling alternative to conventional burial or cremation. It is an environmentally sensitive practice: the body is returned to the earth to decompose naturally and contribute to new life.”
Planning a Green Burial: Where to Start
If you’d like to plan a green burial for yourself or a loved one, you’ll need to make these two major decisions:
- Which funeral home or death care business will arrange the burial?
- Which cemetery will the burial take place in?
While it’s possible to start by choosing a cemetery, we would recommend choosing a death care business first. All funeral homes, regardless of who owns them, can organize a burial at any cemetery. (In other words, if your cemetery of choice owns and operates a funeral home, you are not obligated to use their funeral home.)
A good death care business will help you navigate your options and ensure that you can make choices that are aligned with your priorities, values, and budget.
Choosing a Green Funeral Home or Death Care Business
Here are some questions to consider when deciding which death care business to work with:
- Are they professionally trained or certified in green burial practices?
- Are they able and comfortable with caring for an unembalmed body?
- Will they accommodate the wishes of loved ones who may wish to spend time with a body that has not been embalmed?
- Do they offer biodegradable caskets and shrouds?
- Will they accommodate the wishes of those who might wish to provide their own biodegradable casket or shroud?
- How open are they to the involvement of family and friends in caring for the body or participating in the burial process? Would they honour these wishes, or even start the conversation to inspire ideas?
- How committed are they to green and eco-friendly practices in their broader work?
It’s worth noting that some of the steps involved in a green burial are the same ones that you’d need to go through if you were to choose a conventional burial; for example, filling out the forms required by BC Vital Statistics.
Overall, choosing a funeral home is a matter of considering your own priorities and values as well as those of the funeral home you decide to work with.
Choosing a Green Burial Cemetary
Unfortunately, there are not many green burial cemeteries in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. However, there are some options outside of these regions that fit the criteria for green burial. Here’s a rundown of some green burial cemeteries in and around Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, and Vancouver Island.
Green Burial Options in the Lower Mainland
Vancouver
Currently, Mountain View Cemetery is the only green burial site in the City of Vancouver. Municipally owned, it’s a hybrid site that allows (but does not require) casket vaults or liners. It also allows the use of biodegradable urns, caskets, and shrouds. Unfortunately, space is limited and burial spots can be quite expensive.
Surrey
Heritage Gardens Cemetery in Surrey is a sustainable, family-owned cemetery that has a dedicated Green Burial Garden that is home to a pollinator meadow for two resident bee hives. They encourage folks to reserve space in advance, as they have a limited number of plots available.
Green Burial Options Outside the Lower Mainland
Vancouver Island
Opened in 2008, The Woodlands at Royal Oak Burial Park was Canada’s first urban green burial site. A common memorial at the entrance lists the people who are interred there, but otherwise, the section is left in a natural state, with no memorials or gravestones. Instead, trees and shrubs are used to mark plots.
Yates Memorial Services also offers green burial in their Nature Grove Garden, having been certified by the Green Burial Society of Canada in 2018. Although individual grave plots are not memorialized, the cemetery keeps a record of the location and details of each burial.
Salt Spring Island
Salt Spring Island Natural Cemetery is a licensed cemetery and forest memorial that helps preserve and protect acres of forested land in the Burgoyne Valley. The land is protected as a cemetery in perpetuity through a provincial Certificate of Public Interest on the property title, and the cemetery is licenced as a provincial Place of Interment. They also have a perpetual Care Fund that holds 25% of all moneys paid for plots to ensure that the land is cared for and managed forever.
Denman Island
The Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery is the first contemporary Canadian cemetery that exclusively practices green burial. However, only present and past residents of Denman Island and their immediate family members are eligible for burial there.
Chilliwack
Heritage Woods is a dedicated section of Chilliwack Cemeteries that follows natural, direct earth burial and other green burial principles. Their efforts and practices contribute to the overall restoration and reforestation of the Heritage Woods ecosystem.
Other Considerations for Planning a Green Burial
When it comes to planning a green burial, there are a few other things to think about as well:
Cost: In general, green burial can be less expensive than traditional burial because it does not require you to purchase a casket vault and headstone.
Location: Outside the Lower Mainland, it’s possible to find slightly lower prices on burial plots. However, if you’re currently living in Vancouver, there are some logistical considerations around transporting the body and visiting the burial site. You may also wish to consider whether a connection to the burial place is a factor for yourself or your loved one.
Pre-planning: Many folks find peace of mind in creating a plan that reflects their values and choices, and in knowing they have sorted out the details and payments so that their loved ones don’t have to. Pre-payment is also advantageous in that it locks in a price that won’t be subject to inflation or future change. While not all cemeteries allow for advance payments, most funeral homes do.
These are all common and valid considerations that we can discuss with you and help you navigate. At KORU Cremation | Burial | Ceremony, we’re dedicated to providing you with alternative death care choices that reflect your values. Book a call with us and we can help you plan a green burial for yourself or a loved one.
