Toronto - Several Canadian provinces are seeing a significant rise in unclaimed mortal remains, citing rising funeral costs as the primary reason for next of kin not collecting their loved ones.
This trend has led at least one province to construct a new storage facility, and the demand for memorial fundraisers has surged. According to industry trade group estimates, the top-end cost of a funeral in Canada has risen to approximately $8,800, up from about $6,000 in 1998.
In Ontario, the country's most populous province, the number of unclaimed remains increased to 1,183 in 2023 from 242 in 2013, according to Dirk Huyer, Ontario's chief coroner. In most cases, next of kin were identified but could not claim the remains for various reasons, with financial constraints being the most common. The proportion of unclaimed remains due to financial reasons grew from 20% in 2022 to 24% in 2023.
"It's distressing because it's a person who has passed, and there's nobody—family, friends, or others—who can provide instructions or plans for that person after their death," Huyer remarked.
Officially, in Ontario, remains are deemed unclaimed after 24 hours. However, the coroner's office staff may spend weeks trying to locate next of kin. If relatives confirm they are unable to claim the remains, the local municipality collaborates with a funeral home to provide a simple burial. Meanwhile, the remains are stored in a morgue or temperature-controlled facility.
"Families have always needed additional assistance. (But) I've never seen the number of unclaimed remains that currently exist," said Allan Cole, owner of the Toronto-based funeral home MacKinnon and Bowes.
In Quebec, the number of unclaimed remains grew to 183 in 2023 from 66 in 2013. In Alberta, the number rose to 200 in 2023 from 80 in 2016.
Historically, the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, did not encounter enough unclaimed remains to require long-term storage. However, following public outcry over unclaimed remains kept in freezers outside the hospital, the province is now constructing a permanent storage unit.
"People weren't claiming remains because they realized they couldn't afford to bury them," said Jim Dinn, leader of the province's opposition New Democratic Party. "It's not about building a bigger storage unit: It's about addressing the underlying cause causing the accumulation of remains and removing the barriers so people can have a dignified burial."
Location plays a significant role in costs: An adult single grave with the Mount Pleasant Group averages $2,800, but in midtown Toronto, the price was $34,000 as of April 1. This price excludes opening and closing the grave, the funeral, tombstone, taxes, and other items.
A funeral can cost C$2,000 to C$12,000, said Funeral Services Association of Canada President Jeff Weafer, up from about C$1,800 to C$8,000 in 1998.
The number of memorial fundraisers on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe has surged to 10,257 in 2023 from 36 in 2013, according to a spokesperson for the site.
Advocates have pointed out that government support for funerals has not kept pace with rising costs. The federal government announced a C$2,500 top-up to the C$2,500 death benefit in the Canada Pension Plan in the April budget.
"Losing your life partner or spouse is devastating for a senior. It can also be an immense financial burden after a lifetime of hard work," Katherine Cuplinskas, press secretary for Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, wrote in an email. "That is why we are strengthening the Canada Pension Plan to provide a top-up to the death benefit."
"This is not a respectful end for Canadians," Weafer told Reuters. "The reason deceased individuals are going unclaimed by their families is about affordability."