RESOURCES 

The organizations and websites listed here offer a wide range of Green Burial and End of Life resources.

Green Burial Organizations, Association and Groups (Canada and US)

Green Burial Society of (Canada) "This society, through education, advocacy and a certification program, was established to help all Canadians understand and recognize the environmental benefits of green burial." 

Green Burial Canada

Green Burial Council (United States): "The Green Burial Council is the environmental certification organization setting the standard for green burial in North America. We offer environmental certificates for funeral homes, cemeteries and product manufacturers." The Green Burial Council has a rich repository of  educational material freely available.

Natural Burial in BC (British Columbia, Canada)  Advocating for natural burial and greener disposition choices for all British Columbians. Encouraging community centered deathcaring throughout BC and the establishment of natural burial grounds dedicated to conservation and remembrance.

Natural Burial Association  (Ontario, Canada) The goal of the Natural Burial Association is to create stand-alone natural burial grounds in Ontario by helping communities get the tools they need to make natural burial a reality.

Green Burial Society Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia, Canada) GBSNS works with the community to educate and increase access to green burial practices.

Global Green Burial Alliance (United States / Global reach) The Global Green Burial Alliance is a network of eco-friendly funeral professionals. The GGBA is a free membership pledge organization. The GGBA’s mission is to promote and provide critical information and education concerning any and all eco-friendly funeral options globally.

Resources that can help when making decisions about final disposition.

The Nelson End of Life Society (Nelson BC) website is full of extremely helpful information.   Their free resources include a 'Good To Go' and 'Gone for Good' package that is addressable online or printable. Highly recommend visiting and saving this site.

CINDEA is a Canadian-based organization, which respects the wisdom of ancient death traditions and encourages the renewal of older death practices that are appropriate to our modern-day life. In the past, communities cared for their own dying folk; and creatively adapted, that approach to death is still an option available to us. CINDEA 's perspective is one of a wide range of initiatives that are drawing our culture into a deeper relationship with nature and the cycles of life and death — the modern version of "a good death" for all involved in it.

Death Doula Network International (BC Based / Global reach) A Death Positive Network offering Death education, connection and End of Life Planning for Death Doulas and others. A marvelous organization for anyone interested in end of life issues!

Death Care BC / Emily Bootle. "The knowledge of a funeral director, without the obligation of the funeral home. Objective expertise about the deathcare system accumulated through years of working within it, and thousands of hours spent with the bereaved and their dead."

WILLOW supports you to approach your end of life planning as a robust and meaningful expression of who you are. They offer coaching, workshops and self study tools. On Facebook @willoweol   (In Vancouver)

A Death in Your Family from People's Law School is for people in British Columbia who want to know what to do when a loved one dies. It covers preparing for the death of a loved one, what to do immediately after the death, making the funeral arrangements, and where to find support.

LGBT End of Life Conversations  SFU

The Memorial Society of British Columbia is the only member-based, volunteer driven memorial society in British Columbia. Here is the link to their page specific to Green Burials . The Memorial Society provides an excellent list of resources specific to British Columbia.

National Home Funeral Alliance  (US) "...focusing on reclaiming our innate right to care for our own loved ones at death in natural, and often, environmentally friendly ways."

Consumer Protection BC is the regulating body for funeral services and cemeteries in British Columbia. 

Green Burial Radio Program "Helping make burial practices better serve people and the planet. Hosted by Joe Sehee, founder of the Green Burial Council."

End of Life Doula Association of Canada "Providing personalized End of Life Care, advocacy, community awareness and support."

Community Deathcare Canada   "Inspiring collective engagement with dying, death and bereavement".

Soul Passages / Sarah Kerr, Death Doula. Nature-based spiritual support for illness, death or loss.

Where to buy, and where to find do-it-yourself plans, for caskets and burial shrouds in British Columbia, Canada

When someone we love dies, for the most part, we purchase our casket or coffin from the funeral home that is taking care of our beloved dead. But the times they are a-changing.

"Under BC’s cemetery and funeral services law, you have the right to supply your own casket for interment or cremation as long as it meets certain requirements (such as the ability to be closed, hold weight and be sufficiently sealed). Similarly, you also have the right to supply your own container to hold the cremated remains of your loved one."

Locally sourced, handcrafted caskets, coffins, DIY kits, trundles and burial shrouds are becoming available for sale direct to consumers.

This means we can plan ahead. We can purchase or make our own coffin or burial shroud. You can even use your coffin as a bookshelf or a coffee table until it’s required. It means families and individuals can purchase a burial casket, cremation container, or a shroud and trundle and have it at home to personalize to prepare for our own use or for an immediate need.

Funerary Artisans Collective

Visit the excellent Funerary Artisans Collective. Members are cottage artists and craftspeople dedicated to making eco-friendly vessels for use in natural burial spaces. Makers work is one of a kind, as unique as the person they are built to hold. (There is one BC member on this primarily US site.)

In British Columbia

Cedar Creek Caskets

"Cedar Creek Caskets is committed to producing a high-quality, culturally sensitive and environmentally responsible product that meets the needs of the Aboriginal community in British Columbia and beyond. Manufactured from sustainably sourced red cedar."

Evergreen Coffin Company

Coffins and Burial Shrouds

"Our coffins are made with a mix of sustainably grown BC pine. Our coffins are 100% bio-degradable, which means we use no metals or plastic, plywood, or toxic glues. We use only untreated Manilla hemp rope for the handles, a strong and natural option. We do not apply finishes to our coffins, leaving the wood the way nature made it, exquisite in its unique colour and grain qualities. Evergreen Coffin kits are flat packed for easy shipping and assembly. They are the economical and ecologically choice for a loved one, or as part of your own end of life preparations."

Evergreen By Diana

Burial Shrouds

"My Shrouds are handcrafted from 100% Natural Cotton using locally sourced materials. Our team has over 50 years of experience in manufacturing products used in funerals across North America."

Casket Plans

Do it yourself Casket Kits & Plans

CINDEA

Patterns and ideas for Making your own Burial Shrouds

KORU Cremation/Burial 

In Vancouver "You can purchase items (urns, memorial jewelery, caskets) from KORU even if you are not one of their End of Life clients."

Ancient Burials

All caskets, shrouds, trundles and urns can be purchased online and we will deliver them across the lower mainland or make shipping arrangements.