Natural Burial
SPEAKING UP FOR GREEN OPTIONS Article by Nicola Finch
Shrouded body prepared for green burial. Photo: Larkspur Conservation at Taylor Hollow, Tennessee USA. www. larkspurconservation.org
D
eath has been a hot topic in these pandemic times. Perhaps you’ve considered your own death or worried about people you love dying. More people have been actively engaging in conversations about death and dying. More people have been getting their end-of-life planning in order. These conversations naturally include decisions about disposition—what you want done with your body when you die. Burial and cremation are the two options we currently have in BC. Our population
30 | June/July/August 2021
is aging and, naturally, dying. We are also dealing with increased deaths from the opioid crisis and the pandemic. Seventy-five percent of British Columbians are choosing cremation and BC needs more crematoriums. In many communities, funeral providers are having to transport our deceased loved ones to the nearest crematorium, which can be hundreds of kilometers away. Some are even transported over the border to a crematorium in the United States. In Smithers, the nearest crematorium is a 250 km drive to Terrace. Conventional (fire) cremation is the only option
we have. So far. There is growing support from within the funeral industry and from the public to allow for a gentler, more environmentally friendly cremation process known as alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation/resomation. Natural organic reduction or human composting is another option that is gaining support, but these changes will not happen quickly or easily without pressure from the public. There are two stand alone green burial cemeteries in BC; however, only one of these (on Salt Spring Island) is open to the public. Denman Island’s Natural Burial Cemetery is
