Escalating funeral costs contribute to the surge in unclaimed bodies

Some Canadian provinces have been experiencing a rise in unclaimed dead bodies in recent years.

According to the Ontario Chief Coroner, the number of unclaimed bodies in Ontario doubled to 361 in 2015 from 2006, with Quebec's number nearly doubling to 367 in the same period. This figure in Alberta rose to 200 in 2023 from 80 in 2016.

Dirk Huyer, the province's chief coroner, said this number in Ontario rose to 1,183, 983 and 438 unclaimed individuals in 2023, 2022 and 2019, respectively.

According to a report from the Ontario coroner, most unclaimed bodies in 2014 were older men over 60, with unknown reasons for being unclaimed by their families.

In recent years, these bodies have been unable to claim for multiple reasons, the most significant of which is financial.

According to industry trade group estimates, the highest funeral cost in Canada has risen from approximately $6,000 in 1998 to around $8,800.

"We're in a good range based on history of inflation. That's changed from 10 to 15 years ago," said John Perrotta, Superintendent of cemeteries and Public Works of Environmental Services, City of Hamilton. "There are more deaths that are taking place, which means you need more staff. So your overhead costs are going up overall, which would reflect the cost of the burials and the funerals."

According to Statistics Canada, in the fall of 2022, 26% of Canadians reported being unable to afford a $500 emergency expense.

Gregory Rozdeba, Executive officer at Dundas Life Insurance, said the agent has seen the demand grow yearly for medically underwritten and non-medical policies.

"Many of these funerals are going between $8,000 to $30,000, depending on what they're looking to get and where the funeral is taking place," Rozdeba said. "A few Canadians can't afford to pay for these funerals on a whim. So there's a lot of planning involved."

Rozdeba said insurance agencies can offer policies that can be reasonably inexpensive for low-income families.

"Someone might not be able to afford to pay $5,000 to $15,000 per funeral," he said. "Monthly premiums for funeral insurance can be fairly cheap, ranging from $20 to $60."

He said more funeral insurance options for Canadians have emerged in the last few years.

"If someone you know either saves that kind of money or looks at some sort of funeral insurance plan, some sort of payment plan with a funeral home like those are all options available to Canadian consumers," he said.

Perrotta said some specific aspects of the funeral have become the most expensive currently.

"The cost of the memorialization has gone up. The cost of granite and bronze has increased, so that's going to add to your total funeral expenses. The cost of bronze has increased, which will add to your total funeral expenses," Perrotta said.

"The Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act outlines the maximum they'll provide the municipality for the burials. For a cemetery, it would be $1,300. For the burial plot, the opening and closing, the effort cremation, is it $500 effort cremation," he said.

According to a statistic released by the Office of the Chief Coordinator, unclaimed bodies increased by 170% from 2019 to 2023.

Darren Denomme, executive director of the Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals, said the financial strain is the most influential burden on bereaved families.

"If somebody passes away unexpectedly and no pre-arrangements are made. The burial must be paid within 30 days, and some organizations will make you pay for a full day," he said. "That puts a financial strain on some families trying to gather some funds in order to provide a dignified burial for their loved one."

Denomme said cemeteries could be a good alternative for bereaved families.

He encourages families to preplan and prepay to split up the costs over months, depending on the organization's policy, to mitigate the financial burden.

"That is to relieve the financial burden and the stress on families," Denomme said. "People could apply for assistance to the municipality. There are different programs, such as Ontario Works or the Ontario disability program, that assist with burial."

Rozdeba suggests people prepare an emergency fund for this case.

"If that's not possible, there are insurance options available, but the best option is still saving the money," he said. "If someone's looking at some final expense, ensure something's in place. Life insurance brokers are more than happy to help."

Perrotta said people can look for multiple social support programs in their area.

"Funeral homes are slightly different, so that's negotiated regionally. However, the municipality still pays for that. So, it's done through the social support program of each city. Then, they would combine with the funeral home arranged for the determines so they could select the cemetery," Perrotta said.