Why prearrange your funeral?
For many families, discussing funeral arrangements can feel difficult or overwhelming. Prearranging your funeral helps ease that burden by removing the need for important decisions to be made at a time of emotional stress. By making your wishes known in advance, you provide your family with clear guidance and peace of mind. From our experience, having direction from a loved one is truly a gift—one that brings comfort, reduces uncertainty, and allows families to focus on supporting one another.
During the prearrangement process, we will carefully record your personal wishes, including service preferences, choice of burial or cremation, and any details that are meaningful to you. This may include your preferred type of service, casket or urn selection, charitable donations, and who you would like involved in carrying out your arrangements. It is also important to note that prearranging and prepaying are not the same. Prearranging allows you to document your wishes, while prepaying gives you the option to fund those arrangements in advance. We are happy to discuss both options and help you decide what is right for you.
Prearranging is a thoughtful and practical way to ensure your wishes are honoured, while helping to ease the emotional and decision-making burden for those you care about most.
How do prepaid funeral arrangements work in Ontario?
In Ontario, all funeral homes are required to offer guaranteed pre-arrangement contracts. This means that when services and merchandise are selected and paid for in advance, those costs are protected against inflation. Funds are securely held either in trust or through an insurance policy. We typically recommend a trust arrangement, where the funds are placed in a secure account and accumulate interest over time.
At the time of death, the original amount paid, along with any accumulated interest, is applied toward the current cost of the services and merchandise outlined in the contract. If the total funds are not sufficient to cover the full cost, the funeral home will absorb the difference. If there are excess funds, they are returned to the estate.
This approach provides peace of mind, knowing that your arrangements are protected and your family will not face unexpected financial burdens.
Information required to plan
Much of the same information is required whether you are prearranging a funeral or making arrangements at the time of death. Because of this, many families find that prearranging is simply a matter of gathering and recording important information in advance.
Below is a list of the information typically required when making arrangements. Some details are necessary to complete official documentation with the province, while others assist with applications for death and survivor benefits and estate matters.
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Name of deceased as recorded on birth certificate
Social Insurance Number
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Proper civic address of residence
Marital status
Spouses name including maiden name if applicable
Occupation
Father’s full name and birthplace
Mother’s maiden name, given names as well as birthplace
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Birth Certificate
Marriage certificate or license
Ontario Health Card
If veteran, veteran’s regimental number
Social Insurance Number of spouse (for C.P.P. applications)
A photo of the deceased as they should be remembered
Clothing- whatever the family chooses is appropriate. (Long sleeves and High neckline are recommended.)
Jewelry all items must be itemized with the funeral home
Privacy Disclaimer:
All information recorded with the Mitchell Funeral Home is recorded and stored in full compliance with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, effective January 1, 2004. No information will be traded or exchanged, unless otherwise directed.
Transferring Your Prearrangement
If you are considering transferring your prearranged funeral to Mitchell Funeral Home, the process is simple and straightforward. There are no additional fees, and you do not need to make any uncomfortable phone calls or explain your decision to your previous provider—we take care of everything on your behalf.
There are many reasons families choose to transfer their arrangements. You may have moved to the area, wish to work with a family-owned and operated funeral home, or simply feel more comfortable knowing your arrangements are with a provider you know and trust locally.
We will ensure that all of your existing arrangements are transferred properly and that your wishes are clearly documented and understood. Our goal is to make the transition seamless, while providing you with peace of mind knowing everything is in place.
BAO Guide to Death Care in Ontario
The BAO’s Consumer Information Guide: A Guide to Death Care in Ontario is a free consumer-protection information booklet. The guide is written for families and the public to know their rights and responsibilities before entering into contracts with organizations that are licensed under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002.
The BAO urges all consumers to access A Guide to Death Care in Ontario ahead of time and encourages them to read through the guide, plan ahead and ask a lot of questions prior to entering into a contract with a provider.