Green Burial in Ontario

Ontario is home to more green burial options than any other Canadian province. And yet — if you're searching for a cemetery that will accept shroud burial, require no vault, and restore your grave with native wildflowers rather than a mown lawn — the list is still remarkably short.

That gap between what people want and what exists is closing. New sites are opening, and established cemeteries are dedicating sections to natural burial with genuine commitment. But the landscape is uneven, and not everything that calls itself green burial truly is. Here is an honest look at what Ontario currently offers.

What Makes an Ontario Cemetery Truly Green

Ontario cemeteries are regulated under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, administered by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO). The BAO gives operators significant flexibility in setting their own requirements, which means the bar for calling something "green burial" is set by the cemetery itself, not by the province.

That's why this directory only lists sites that meet the four standards: no embalming required, no concrete vault, biodegradable container or shroud accepted, and direct earth contact between body and soil.

The Established Sites

Woodlawn Memorial Park — Taylor's Meadow (Guelph)

A dedicated meadow-style natural burial area that has been operating for years. Accepts full body burial in shroud or biodegradable casket.

Glenwood Cemetery (Picton)

A historic cemetery in Prince Edward County, serving the community since 1873, with a dedicated forest setting for green burial. Set within mature trees, with native wildflowers in the spring. Two and a half hours east of Toronto.

Willow's Rest at Fairview Cemetery (Niagara Falls)

A two-acre green burial section in a wildflower meadow, surrounded by nearly 200 native trees and six Monarch Butterfly pollinator gardens. Opened 2017.

Duffin Meadows Cemetery (Pickering)

A nature-filled heritage cemetery 15 minutes east of Toronto with a dedicated natural burial section. Rolling meadows, mature trees.

Meadowvale Cemetery (Brampton)

The first natural burial section in the Greater Toronto Area, opened by Mount Pleasant Group in 2012. Adjacent to a protected wildlife sanctuary.

Cobourg Union Cemetery — Eco Burials (Cobourg)

One of Canada's earliest dedicated green burial sections. A natural meadow overlooking Cobourg Creek. Note: no at-need burials — advance arrangement required.

Newer Sites Expanding the Map

St. John's Public Cemetery (Jordan)

A non-denominational cemetery serving Niagara since 1841, with a natural burial section opened in 2017 in the heart of wine country.

St. James' Cemetery (Roseneath)

A heritage cemetery in Northumberland County offering a conservation-style natural burial section — described as unique in Ontario.

Parkview Cemetery (Waterloo)

A municipal cemetery with a dedicated green burial section in a native wildflower meadow.

Williamsburg Cemetery — Sanctuary Woods (Kitchener)

A wooded natural burial area adjacent to a pond. Uniquely offers green burial lots that include a living memorial tree.

Mount Hamilton Cemetery (Hamilton)

Hamilton's first natural burial section, opened in 2024.

Locksley United Cemetery (Pembroke)

A rural cemetery in the Ottawa Valley — currently the only location in Eastern Ontario allowing full green burials.

And One Coming Soon

Beechwood Cemetery (Ottawa)

Beechwood — the National Cemetery of Canada — is preparing to open a dedicated green burial ground. For Ottawa and eastern Ontario families, this will be the first true green burial option within the city. Watch this space.