Dylan YoungPlanning a funeral for a close relative is one of the most heart-wrenching tasks I’ve ever done. The emotional toll of losing someone dear, coupled with the countless decisions that need to be made, felt overwhelming. This is why I turned to a funeral home for help.
From arranging transportation for my loved one to organising the funeral service, they took care of the details, allowing me to focus on grieving and cherishing memories.
Hopefully, you can also have the same comforting experience that my family and I had by working with these compassionate funeral homes in Toronto.
| How much does a funeral cost in Toronto? The average price for a funeral in Toronto is $8,000. However, there are several factors that may influence the price, including the type of casket, burial plot, flowers, and whether you opt for a traditional burial or cremation. |
How We Chose
1. Affordable Burials & Cremations
Address: 41 Industrial St Unit #102
Phone number: +1 416-487-9697
Business hours: Available 24/7
Affordable Burials & Cremations Inc. is a family-owned funeral service provider with over 50 years of experience. Available 24/7, this funeral home is only a few kilometres away from Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
It’s great that they provide both burial and cremation services. Even better, they can also do Aquamotion cremation, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cremation that uses water instead of fire to return the body to its natural elements.
Another thing worth mentioning is that they also offer funeral pre-planning to safeguard their clients from potential cost increases. Furthermore, they have a professional grief coach who can provide free support to families.
However, it has come to my attention that some former clients have encountered dismissive behaviour from their staff.
Pros
- 50 years of experience
- Near Mount Pleasant Cemetery
- Offers Aquamotion cremation
- Can do funeral pre-planning
- Offers free healthy grief support
Cons
- Dismissive staff
- Small facilities
This service truly offers excellent value for its impeccable quality
“The ABC team was exceptionally professional, helpful, and compassionate throughout the entire process, significantly easing a difficult time. Everything was handled promptly and efficiently. The paperwork and next steps were clearly explained and meticulously organized, making the process much more manageable. This service truly offers excellent value for its impeccable quality. Special thanks to Fatima for her unwavering support.”
-Jennifer Pantelidis, Google Reviews
I really appreciate how quick and simple things went
“Thank you to ABC for making this whole process so easy and affordable. I really appreciate how quick and simple things went. The ongoing offers of support and the taking of time to walk through all of the details was unexpected and so caring. The communication was professional and kind. I will highly recommend this service to all.”
-Rich Scott, Google Reviews
2. Cardinal Funeral Home
Address: 366 Bathurst St
Phone number: +1 416-603-1444
Business hours: Available 24/7
Cardinal Funeral Home, established in 1925, is a third-generation family business that operates two chapels, one on Annette Street and another on Bathurst Street. As one of Toronto’s oldest funeral homes, they’ve become a trusted provider of cremation and burial services.
Of course, all those decades of experience meant that they were able to do more than just the two I’ve listed above. One particular advantage they have is their international reach, which allows them to regularly collaborate with international embassies and government agencies for repatriation.
They also have a multilingual staff that can speak eight languages, including Mandarin, Tagalog, and French.
Furthermore, they offer the Extended Family Care Program, which seeks to assist the family in managing the deceased’s estate, including things like cancelling credit cards, transferring vehicle ownership, and more.
However, it should be noted that their prices are a bit more expensive than average.
Pros
- Almost a century of experience
- Offers international repatriation
- Multilingual staff
- Can manage the deceased’s estate
- Two locations in Toronto
Cons
- Above-average prices
- Locations a bit far from cemeteries
We would 100% recommend this funeral home to anyone
“We asked Cardinal Funeral Home (Bathurst) to take care of my father’s funeral. Our Funeral Director was exemplary in guiding us through this process that was completely unknown to us. She truly understood and respected our wishes with patience, kindness, professionalism and empathy. We would 100% recommend this funeral home to anyone. (+ there is a parking lot available on site)”
-Marie-Valentine Pinton, Google Reviews
This funeral home clearly takes pride in their work
“I was impressed by the quality and attention to detail. This funeral home clearly takes pride in their work. The customer service was outstanding and the representatives were friendly, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction.”
-Fabian Torres, Google Reviews
3. Lynett Funeral Home
Address: 3299 Dundas St W
Phone number: +1 416-767-1176
Business hours: Available 24/7
Lynett Funeral Home, founded in 1914, is another funeral home with a longstanding presence in the city. Now a part of the Arbor Memorial family, it offers a wide range of services, including traditional funerals, cremation, and pre-planning.
For me, their flexibility is what makes them a deserving entry on this list. They’re fully capable of providing same-day services, which is essential if the deceased needs to be buried or cremated within 24 hours due to religious, cultural, or personal reasons.
Furthermore, they’re also amenable to doing alternative services for families that want to hold a memorial service in other places, like an aeroplane hangar, a bowling alley, or a zoo.
They can even do DNA preservation on the deceased if need be!
However, some former clients told me they found dirty benches during their visits here. That’s concerning, especially because Lynett Funeral Home’s fees aren’t exactly cheap.
Pros
- More than a century of experience
- Has same-day funeral services
- Can do alternative funeral service
- Offers DNA preservation of the deceased
Cons
- Expensive
- Sometimes facilities are dirty
Made an emotional situation less stressful
“The staff at Lynett Funeral Home was amazing. Special thanks to Peter who was attentive, organized, and extremely sensitive to our needs. He made an emotional situation less stressful and was respectful throughout the entire service. Our family is very grateful for all the work, attention to detail, and compassion shown by the staff. We could not thank you enough.”
-Lina Galang, Google Reviews
Lynette made things easy and well managed
“Nobody wants to have to do a funeral but Lynette made things easy and well managed. On the night of the viewing we had Chris and Phil helping us out and they went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. They were courteous and pleasant and made the evening much easier. Thank you!”
-Brent Hierons, Google Reviews
4. Ridley Funeral Home
Address: 3080 Lake Shore Blvd W, Etobicoke
Phone number: +1 416-259-3705
Business hours: Available 24/7
Ridley Funeral Home, established in 1921 by Arthur B. Ridley, is another veteran provider of funeral services in Toronto. They offer a wide range of affordable services, including traditional funerals, cremation, and celebration of life services.
Aside from those services, it’s worth mentioning that they can also do green burials. Unlike a traditional burial, this one aims to be as environmentally sustainable as possible by only using eco-friendly caskets and biodegradable topical products to preserve the deceased.
As someone who has family members serving in the military, I also appreciate that they offer funeral and burial assistance for veterans. All funeral services they provide have free courier concierge services included, so the deceased’s family won’t have to worry about running errands during a difficult time.
Sadly, their location means they can only effectively serve families living in Etobicoke, Mimico, and Mississauga.
Pros
- More than a century of experience
- Offers green burials
- Has funeral and burial assistance for veterans
- Free courier concierge services
- Offers pet cremation services
Cons
- Location a bit far from Toronto’s northern suburbs
- Requires a 50% deposit fee
They helped guide us through a very difficult situation
“My family and I had a very wonderful experience with Ridley funeral home. They helped guide us through a very difficult situation, they were there when we had questions and they always had the kindest words to share. In a difficult time it was nice to have such a supportive team to work with.”
-Ed Struck, Google Reviews
The care and support we received were much appreciated
“Our family wants to express our sincere thanks to all the staff at Ridley Funeral Home. We have used their services in the past and found their kindness, understanding and professionalism to be exceptional. Ellen, Alessia and Tammy were especially helpful in guiding us through this difficult process. The care and support we received were much appreciated. I definitely recommend Ridley Funeral Home’s services.”
-Anne Ainsworth, Google Reviews
5. Ward Funeral Home
Address: 2035 Weston Rd
Phone number: +1 416-241-4618
Business hours: Available 24/7
With three chapels in Toronto, Ward Funeral Home is one of the more accessible choices you can find on this list. With over a century of experience, they offer a wide range of services, including traditional funerals, cremation, and personalised memorials.
One thing I certainly love about this funeral home is its Integrity Pricing Advantage promise. Here, they assure families of the deceased that they charge no hidden fees and offer additional services for free, like video tributes and live funeral streaming.
Furthermore, they offer the free Continuing Care Program, which helps with paperwork for death and survivor benefits, benefit transfers, and cancellations.
However, while they don’t have any hidden fees, it should still be mentioned that they charge special fees under certain conditions. One example is that they have additional fees if the deceased is transferred into their care between 9 PM and 8 AM.
Pros
- Over a century of experience
- Three locations in Toronto
- No hidden fees
- Offers free live funeral streaming
- Can manage the deceased’s estate for free
Cons
- Additional fee for overnight transfers of the deceased
- Charges extra on holidays
We will forever be grateful
“Our family had a wonderful experience working with Jessica at Ward Funeral Home, Weston. Jessica is warm, kind, highly-organized, and compassionate. It really felt like she was in lock-step with our family and worked hard to make sure all arrangements for our mom were exactly as we wanted. We will forever be grateful.”
-M Manley, Google Reviews
Made our time of sorrow easier to bear
“Our funeral director, Jessica, was an absolute delight to work with. She made the entire process warm, smooth, and comforting. We were able to laugh, and cry with her. She did a great job at taking care of and preparing our dear Uncle Peter. Jessica went above and beyond by surprising us with music by Elvis (because we had told her Peter loved Elvis). It’s these small details that made such a difference and made our time of sorrow easier to bear. Thank you to Jessica and the Ward family.”
-Lisa Tabrizi, Google Reviews
