Cremation on The Increase in Canada

According to Ted McCleister, owner of McCleister Funeral Homes, established by his grandfather in 1925, "Even though we see an increase in Memorial Services without the body being present, we are still getting many requests from family members to able to see their loved one more time before cremation takes place, and they never see them again.


Funeral homes can arrange a brief, private, family viewing in the funeral home at a convenient time. Some family members may only need 5 minutes, others an hour.

Sometimes just seeing their loved one in their own clothes, without any hospital tubes attached, and the absence of any painful expression, is very comforting and is a better last "memory picture" with the support of other family around."

"If you don't believe how important it is to be able to view the body, then you should see the reaction of families when a funeral director has to break the sad news that they cannot see their loved one, due to various conditions.

They become extremely distraught. They may push us to extraordinary measures in order to be able to have the psychological closure that viewing provides."

Funeral directors are trained in the psychology of grief at college and are aware of the unique nature of each death, and that each family is also unique, with individual needs and wishes.

The death of someone we love creates a psychological wound. We hurt in our own way and we heal in our way, and on our own time.

At McCleister Funeral Home, it is our mission to first ascertain those needs, and then try to meet them. We have needs and wishes. Just like I may need my dentist to work on my teeth, I don't wish, but the result is for my better health.

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