Our Services

Personalized Service

The type of service that you choose should reflect your loved one's personality. It is a Celebration of their life, a time for people to gather and share in the loss and express their grief, sympathy and love. At the funeral home we will sit down with you and provide you with all of the different types of services and products that are available to you. Whether your choice is a traditional service with visiting, a chapel or church service, a small gathering of just family, burial or cremation, we will be there to provide all of the options. It is important to us that we accommodate every reasonable request our families have.

We try to encourage families to personalize the services they are having for their loved ones. We try to do this by having families bring in personal belongings, such as their fishing gear or knitting tools, anything that would describe their loved ones life.

We also have different products that can be geared towards your loved ones life. Our caskets can be customized with panels that go in the back of the casket. These panels can have any picture, scene or verse on it. We also have caskets that the corners can be replaced with an angel, fish or a rose, there are numerous corners to choose from. We can produce a picture tribute to your loved by a collage or by video to be on display during the visitation. Again, we try to accommodate every reasonable request our families may have.

Our Funeral Home has visitation rooms to accommodate any gathering, whether big or small. We have a coffee lounge for you to gather your thoughts and take a little break. There is always coffee, tea, pop and water available for visitors at the funeral home and we always make sure we have a tray of sweets for our guest at the funeral home. We can also accommodate families if they wish to have a reception at the funeral home or if they wish to have a reception elsewhere we can certainly organize that reception for you as well.

We collect memorial donations on behalf of any organization and make sure our families receive a card from every person who made a contribution to that charity. We accept flowers and place them in the visitation room for the families to see who sent the flowers and we deliver them to wherever families tell us to deliver them, whether it is a nursing home, hospital or someone’s home.

Every person that passes away may be entitled to the Canada Death Benefit through the government. Family may be entitled to the Survivors benefit or Children’s benefit. Filing for these benefits may be confusing and frustrating. At the funeral home we like to sit down with each family and discuss what benefits they may be entitled to and we fill out the correct applications for you and mail them off on your behalf. We will also help you cancel life insurance policies, pension plans, cancel credit cards, anything that you would like help with to make things a little easier on you when settling your loved ones estate.

At McGlade Funeral Home we provide a calming atmosphere, refreshments, hospitality, lounges and visitation rooms to accommodate every family and we respond to every reasonable personal request families may have.

Cemetery Types

Monumental cemetery: A monumental cemetery is the traditional style of cemetery where headstones or other monuments made of marble or granite rise vertically above the ground.  There are countless different types of designs for headstones, ranging from very simple, to large and complex.

Lawn cemetery: A lawn cemetery is where each grave is marked with a small commemorative plaque that is placed horizontally at the head of the grave at ground-level.  Families can still be involved in the design and in choosing the information contained on the plaque, but in most cases the plaques are a standard design. 

Mausoleum: A mausoleum is an external, free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people.  A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb, or the tomb may be considered to be within the mausoleum.  The most famous mausoleum is the Taj Mahal in India.

Columbarium: Columbarium walls are generally reserved for cremated remains.  While cremated remains can be kept at home by families, or scattered somewhere significant to the deceased, a columbarium provides friends and family a place to come to visit. Columbarium walls do not take up a lot of space and a cheaper alternative to a burial plot.

Natural cemeteries: Natural cemeteries, also known as eco-cemeteries or green cemeteries, are a new style of cemetery set aside for natural burials.  Natural burials are motivated by the desire to be environmentally conscious.  While natural burials can be performed at any type of cemetery, they are usually done in a natural woodland area.  Conventional markings, such as headstones, are generally replaced with a tree, bush, or the placement of a natural stone.

Burial FAQ

What is opening and closing, and why is it so expensive?
Opening and closing fees can include up to and beyond 50 separate services provided by the cemetery.  Typically, the opening and closing fees include administration and permanent record keeping (determining ownership, obtaining permission, and the completion of other documentation which may be required, entering the interment particulars in the interment register, maintaining all legal files), opening and closing the grave (locating the grave and laying out the boundaries, excavating and filling the interment space), installation and removal of the lowering device, placement and removal of artificial grass dressing and coco-matting at the grave site, leveling, tamping, re-grading and sodding the grave site, and leveling and re-sodding the grave if the earth settles. 

Can we dig our own grave to avoid the charge for opening and closing?
The actual opening and closing of the grave is just one component of the opening and closing fee.  Due to safety issues which arise around the use of machinery on cemetery property, and the protection of other gravesites, the actual opening and closing of the grave is conducted by cemetery grounds personnel only.

Why is having a place to visit so important?
To remember, and to be remembered.  A permanent memorial in a cemetery provides a focal point for remembrance and memorializing the deceased.  Memorialization of the dead is a key component in almost every culture.  Psychologists say that remembrance practices serve an important emotional function for survivors by helping them bring closure, which allows the healing process to begin. The provision of a permanent resting place is an important part of this process.

What happens when a cemetery runs out of land?
When a cemetery runs out of land, it will continue to operate and serve the community.  Most cemeteries have crematoriums, and some historic cemeteries even offer guided tours.

In a hundred years, will this cemetery still be there?
We think of cemetery lands as being in perpetuity.  There are cemeteries throughout the world that have been in existence for hundreds of years.

How soon after a death must an individual be buried?
There is no law that states a specific time-span for burial.  Considerations that will affect the timeline include: the need to secure all permits and authorizations; notification of family and friends; preparation of cemetery site, and religious considerations.  Public heath laws may limit the maximum amount of time allowed to pass prior to final disposition.  Contact your local funeral provider for more details.

Does a body have to be embalmed before it is buried?
No.  Embalming is generally a choice, one which depends on factors like if there is to be an open casket viewing of the body, or if there will be an extended time between death and internment.  Public health laws may require embalming if the body is going to be transported by air or rail.

What options are available besides ground burial?
Besides ground burial, some cemeteries offer interment in lawn crypts or entombment in mausoleums.  In addition, most cemeteries provide options for those who have selected cremation.  These often include placement of cremated remains in a niche of a columbarium or interment in an urn space. 

What are burial vaults and grave liners?
These are the outside containers into which the casket is placed.  Burial vaults are designed to protect the casket and may be made of a variety of materials, including concrete, stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, bronze, plastic, or fiberglass.  A grave liner is a lightweight version of a vault which keeps the grave surface from sinking in.

Must I purchase a burial vault?
Most large, active cemeteries have regulations that require the use of a basic grave liner for maintenance and safety purposes.  Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements.  Some smaller rural or churchyard cemeteries do not require use of a container to surround the casket in the grave.

There are alternatives to burial. 

Cremation Services

Cremation is an increasingly popular option for many people, serving as an alternative to burial. Reasons for preferring cremation vary. Some religions request it, while other people consider it more environmentally conscious. Some may simply like the idea of cremation more. During cremation, the remains are placed in a special furnace and reduced to resemble coarse sand.  Cremation is not an alternative to a funeral, but rather an alternative to burials or other forms of disposition.

Cremated remains can be scattered, buried, or they may be kept with the family in a decorative urn.  There are many ways to dispose of ashes today: cremated remains can be placed in an artificial coral reef in the ocean; they can be launched into space or sent up in helium balloons; they can be spun into glass pieces of art or diamonds.

Some religions welcome cremation, while others forbid it.  The Catholic Church had previously banned cremation up until 1963, and burial remains the preferred form of disposition today.  In other Christian denominations, cremation was historically discouraged but is now more widely accepted. In eastern religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, cremation is mandated. In Islam, it is strictly forbidden.  Orthodox Jews also forbid cremation, while other sects of Judaism support cremation; however, burial remains the preferred option. 

Cremation FAQ

What is cremation?
Cremation is the process of reducing the human body using high heat and flame.  Cremation is not the final disposition of the remains, nor is it a type of funeral service.

Is a casket needed for cremation?
No, a casket is not required.  Most states require an alternative container constructed of wood or cardboard; however, in some states, no container is required.

Is embalming required prior to cremation?
No. It is against the law for a funeral home to tell you otherwise.

Can the body be viewed without embalming?
Yes, most crematories allow immediate family members to view the deceased prior to cremation.

Can the family witness the cremation?
Yes they can; some cremation providers will allow family members to be present when the body is placed in the cremation chamber.  Some religious groups ask for this as part of their funeral custom.

Can an urn be brought into church?
Nearly all Protestant Churches allow for the urn to be present during the memorial service.  Most Catholic Churches also allow the remains to be present during the Memorial Mass. Including cremated remains as a part of the funeral provides a focal point for the service.

What can be done with the cremated remains?
While laws vary state by state, for the most part, remains can be buried in a cemetery lot or in a cremation garden, interred in a columbarium, kept at home, or scattered.

How can I be sure I receive the correct remains?
All reputable cremation providers have developed rigorous sets of operating policies and procedures in order to maximize the level of service and minimize the potential for human error.  Since it is illegal to perform more than one cremation at a time, and the vast majority of crematories can only cremate one body at a time, it is next to impossible to receive the incorrect remains.

How long does the actual cremation take?
It all depends on the weight of the individual.  For an average sized adult, cremation can take two to three hours at a normal operating temperature of between 1,000 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

What do the cremated remains look like?
Cremated remains resemble coarse sand and are whitish to light grey in color.  The remains of an average sized adult usually weigh between 7 and 8 pounds.

Do I need an urn?
An urn is not required by law.  An urn may be desired if there is to be a memorial service or if the remains are to be interred in a cemetery.  If an urn is not purchased or provided by the family, the cremated remains will be returned in a temporary plastic container.

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