Reuters – Several Canadian provinces have reported a significant increase in unclaimed dead bodies in recent years, with funeral costs cited as a primary reason for families not collecting their loved ones’ remains.
Increased Need for Storage Facilities
This surge has led at least one province to construct a new storage facility, and demand for memorial fundraisers has skyrocketed. According to industry trade group estimates, the top-end cost of a funeral in Canada has risen from approximately $6,000 in 1998 to about $8,800 today.
Ontario’s Rising Numbers
In Ontario, the most populous province, the number of unclaimed bodies climbed to 1,183 in 2023 from 242 in 2013, according to Chief Coroner Dirk Huyer. While many next of kin were identified, financial constraints often prevented them from claiming the body. Financial reasons accounted for 24% of unclaimed bodies in 2023, up from 20% in 2022.
“It’s distressing because it’s a person who has passed and there’s nobody – family, friends, or others – able to provide instructions or plans for that person after their death,” Huyer said.
Official Procedures and Delays
In Ontario, a body is officially deemed unclaimed after 24 hours. However, coroner’s office staff may spend weeks locating next of kin. If relatives confirm their inability to claim the body, the local municipality works with a funeral home to provide a simple burial, keeping the body in a morgue or temperature-controlled storage in the meantime.
Increasing Numbers Across Provinces
In Quebec, unclaimed bodies grew to 183 in 2023 from 66 in 2013. Alberta saw the number rise to 200 in 2023 from 80 in 2016. Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Sciences Centre, which historically did not need long-term storage for unclaimed remains, is now constructing a permanent storage unit following public concern over bodies kept in freezers outside the hospital.
“People weren’t claiming bodies because they realized they couldn’t afford to bury them,” said Jim Dinn, leader of Newfoundland’s opposition New Democratic Party. “It’s not about building a bigger storage unit: It’s about addressing the underlying causes and removing barriers so people can have a dignified burial.”
Escalating Funeral Costs
The cost of a single grave with the Mount Pleasant Group averages $2,800, but in midtown Toronto, it can reach $34,000, excluding additional expenses like opening and closing the grave, the funeral, tombstone, and taxes. A funeral in Canada can range from C$2,000 to C$12,000, up from C$1,800 to C$8,000 in 1998, according to Funeral Services Association of Canada President Jeff Weafer.
Rising Memorial Fundraisers
Memorial fundraisers on GoFundMe have increased to 10,257 in 2023 from 36 in 2013. Government support for funerals has not kept pace with rising costs. The federal government recently announced a C$2,500 top-up to the existing C$2,500 death benefit in the Canada Pension Plan.
“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.”
However, Weafer argues that this is insufficient. “This is not a respectful end for Canadians,” he said. “The reason deceased individuals are going unclaimed by their families is about affordability.”
