Possible Outside Costs

Outside costs or Disbursements are items that can appear on the funeral home contact to keep everything on one bill. The following are some items that are often identified as disbursements and are charged at cost; including taxes.


  • Bereavement Authority of Ontario “BAO” Consumer Protection Fee $30
    This fee is charged by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario in order to provide its services of information on options in bereavement services and to regulate the bereavement sector profession making sure the law is consistently followed. The BAO’s regulatory work includes responding to public complaints and questions, inspecting and providing guidance to bereavement businesses and professionals, which it licenses across Ontario to better serve you – the public. The BAO is wholly funded by licensee fees (not tax dollars).

  • Clergy honorarium (Usual amount: $250)
    This is an amount paid to the clergy for their services. In some cases the amount is set by the clergy, in others it is an amount to be determined by you.
  • Cemetery Fee: Dependent on cemetery (click here to view the fees at St. Marys Cemetery)
  • Church fees: (when a funeral is at a church) some have a caretaker fee, secretary fee and organist fee
  • Newspaper notice and/or radio announcement:
    Newspaper or radio notices: these are charges for death notices placed in newspapers or radio or other media outlets. Cost depends on the newspaper and length of the notice.

Outside costs involved with cremation:

  • Coroner cremation certificate fee $75
    This is a fee charged by the coroner for issuing a certificate that allows cremation to take place. The fee is set by the Chief Coroner for Ontario.
  • Cremation fee: dependent on crematorium (Mount Pleasant in London $572.40).
  • Flowers: Dependent on selection
    St. Marys Florists:
  • Post funeral reception: Dependent on caterer and number of people
  • Use of reception hall: Dependent on location
  • Inscription of monument:
    Inscription of monument dependent on number of characters being engraved
    • Monument Company:  Stratford Memorials, Stratford 519-271-6736
    • Final date inscription
      (up to 9 letters):
      $322.00 plus HST ($363.86)
      Each letter after $13.10
      plus HST ($14.80)

  • Winter Storage at Stratford Avondale Cemetery $358.92
    Some small country cemeteries do not bury during the winter months