Cremation Cost in Manitoba

Cremation cost in Manitoba typically falls between $1,000 to $10,000+. Prices vary depending on included services and location, with higher prices in larger cities like Winnipeg or Brandon. This article examines what fees will be included in the cost of for cremation services and provides a cost breakdown for standard and optional line items you can expect in the province.

The numbers provided in this article are taken from advertised fees and industry norms in Manitoba and represent averages and typically listed costs by cremation providers and funeral homes. (Scroll to the bottom or click here to see where this estimate comes from.)

Summary of cremation costs in Manitoba

Listed here is an itemized summary of fees expected for cremation arrangements in Manitoba.

• Cremation documentation:  
  -Cremation service provider fees: $100 to $300+
  -Government death certificate fee: $80+
• Body transportation: $300+ (based on distance)
• Body storage and preservation:
  -Refrigeration: Around $300
  -Embalming: $450 to $600+
• Body preparation: $100 to $1000+
• Cremation process: Around $375, but can range anywhere from $300 to $1000+
• Professional services and staff fees: $200 to $1,000+.
• Cremation urn: $10 to upwards of $2,000.
• Ceremony or celebration of life: $0 to $3,000+
• Interment:
  Single niche $1,000 to $4,000+.
  Urn burial plots: $500 to $3,000+.
• Grave markers: Headstones or grave markers for an urn plot can cost $100 to $1,000+.

Cremation funeral package fees

Cremation costs in Manitoba typically fall in the range of $1,000 to $10,000. Cremation with a memorial service is around $6,000 on average, while simpler cremation options like direct cremation typically cost between $2,600 to $3,600 on average in the province. However, there are lower-cost packages starting at $1,000. Included in cremation packages are two types of fees:

1) Required services: Required service fees are necessary services included in all cremation packages. This includes documentation, body storage or preservation, transportation, body preparation, and professional and staff costs.

2) Optional services: These fees are for services or products that are not required by law but may have been chosen by the deceased person or selected by their family. Examples include urn purchase, interment, and funeral celebration or ceremonies.

It is advised to ask funeral providers for an itemized price list to ensure that only required or desired services are included in the cremation package.

Detailed cremation cost in Manitoba by category

Below is a detailed breakdown of the costs in Manitoba associated with the cremation categories listed above.

Cremation documentation in Manitoba

Deaths in Manitoba must be registered with the province's Vital Statistics Agency before a cremation can occur. Below are the documents needed to register the death:

Medical Certificate of Death. This outlines the cause of death. A doctor or coroner must complete it.

Death Registration. This form must be completed by a physician or coroner.

A death certificate may also be needed for the family of the deceased's person to apply for benefits or insurance or to complete administrative or estate tasks. Families can apply for a death certificate online or by mail after the death has been registered.

Cremation documentation costs

A certified copy of a Manitoba death registration can also be ordered. It is a photocopy of the death registration. However, a certified copy of a Manitoba death registration is generally only required for court or consulate purposes.

Medical professionals predominantly handle end-of-life documentation in Manitoba. Still, funeral providers often facilitate the death registration and handle additional paperwork, such as obtaining a death certificate, applications for Canada Pension Plan (CPP), etc. The family of the deceased person can handle some documentation if they wish. Therefore, documentation fees may be minimal or fall under professional and staff fees.

• A standard range for documentation fees is $100 to $300+.
• In Manitoba, a death certificate and a certified copy of a Manitoba death registration cost $80 each. Certificates ordered with regular service take 6 to 8 weeks to be processed and delivered. However, services can be rushed (5 to 8 business days) for an additional fee. The fee is $40 for delivery within Canada, $50 to the USA, and $80 for international destinations. Learn more.

Transportation of a body in Manitoba

A funeral provider or transfer services in Manitoba handle the transportation of a deceased person's body.

Transportation fees change based on distance and time travelled but typically cost $300 and up.

Body storage and preservation

A body is usually not cremated immediately after death, as planning and logistics must be handled first (e.g., death registration). Therefore, the body must be stored to slow down physiological changes that begin after death. Standard preservation techniques used are refrigeration or embalming.

Embalming is not required by law in Manitoba. However, it may be necessary or recommended in specific scenarios, such as if the body is transported to another province or country and for a viewing or visitation.

Body storage fees vary based on the length of time in the funeral home's facilities and the type of refrigeration used.

Storage fees cost around $300 on average. Additional storage time may increase overall prices.

Embalming costs can range anywhere from $450 to $600+ in Manitoba.

Cremation

Cremation involves placing a deceased person's body (within a casket or cremation container) in a chamber, where it is exposed to flames and extreme heat (around 760 to 980 Celsius). The heat reduces organic matter and leaves behind bone fragments and non-combustible materials. Non-combustible materials are removed and recycled. The bone fragments are reduced into a coarse grey, or brown powder called cremated remains or "ashes."

Preparation fees

Preparation for cremation consists of removing items that may pose safety risks to crematorium staff (e.g., medical implants with a battery) or that the family does not want destroyed (e.g., jewelry). Other implants or belongings, such as metal fillings or clothing, remain with the body and are destroyed or removed from the ashes after the cremation.

Body preparation may also include services like embalming, makeup, etc. It may also fall under professional and staff fees. Preparation fees typically cost between $100 to $1000+.

Cremation fees

Cremation packages often list a separate fee to cover the cremation process. The cost of cremation is typically around $375, but can range anywhere from $300 to $1000+.

Professional and staff fees

Professional and staff fees compensate funeral home staff for their assistance in planning and logistics and using their facilities. These fees can be a separate charge or include several of the previously mentioned services. The cost often falls between $200 to $1,000+, depending on what is included.  

Urn purchase

The cost of an urn depends on the style, type, material, size, design, etc. Therefore, it can range anywhere from $10 to over $2,000. However, most urn purchases are in the $300 to $500 range. (Learn more about urn costs). See our online store to view a large inventory of urns and their price range.

Urn interment cost

Some families may choose to have the cremated remains of their loved one interred in the ground, in a niche, or a columbarium.

A single niche in Manitoba typically starts around $1,000 but can cost well over $4,000 depending on the cemetery or columbarium. In contrast, a single burial plot costs around $700 but can be anywhere from $500 to over $3000.

These prices vary mainly due to location and demand. For example, interments in cemeteries and columbariums in smaller cities are typically less expensive than in metropolitan areas such as Winnipeg or Brandon. However, fewer options may be available in smaller towns, which could increase the price.

Interment costs can be reduced by purchasing a niche or burial plot that can hold more than one urn. Another way to minimize interment fees is to scatter ashes or keep them in an urn within a home (Learn more about scattering rules in Canada).

Grave markers

Grave markers consist of a headstone, engraved plaque, grave monument (e.g., bench), etc. The cost of a grave marker depends on the type, size, design, engraving, etc. For example, a simple engraved plaque for a niche is likely to cost under $500, while a gravestone will likely be $1,000. Grave monuments can be even more expensive.

Cremation ceremonies and celebrations of life

The cost of a funeral ceremony or celebration varies depending on the activity. For example, full cremation services (e.g., viewing, visitation, etc.) will likely cost a few thousand dollars. However, a small celebration of life at a banquet hall can cost a few hundred dollars, and an ash-scattering ceremony in a provincial park will be almost free.

A traditional cremation typically costs $2,000 and up, while informal services are often under $1,000.

Sales tax in Manitoba

Expect to pay five per cent for Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a seven percent Retail Sales Tax (RST) on most products and services discussed above.

Cost of a direct cremation arrangement vs full-service cremation funerals in Manitoba

Direct cremation eliminates funeral services such as a viewing, visitation, wake, etc. Because of this, direct cremation is often more affordable, ranging from $1,000 to $3,600 on average in Manitoba.

Conversely, a full-service cremation funeral with a viewing, visitation, graveside service, etc., is likely to start around $6,000 but may cost upwards of $10,000.

Additional cremation cost resources:

• Cremation: Questions and answers
• Cremation in Manitoba
• Manitoba Funeral financial assistance programs
• Funeral financial assistance programs by province in Canada
• What if you can't afford to die
• What does it cost to be cremated in Canada
• Funeral costs in Canada
• Understanding funerals
• Urns for ashes: Everything you need to know

Where do our cremation cost estimates come from

When we calculated the average cremation cost in Manitoba, our information comes from an aggregation of sources to ensure accuracy.

First, we calculated Canada-wide cremation costs using the following sources:

• This 2020 CBC Radio article from 2020 suggests a range of $2,000 to $5,000 for a basic cremation across Canada.
• A 2017 CBC story in Nova Scotia showed cremation service costs in that province ranged at the time from $1,200 to $5,500.
• An Ontario Auditor General's report from Dec. 2020 showed direct cremation costs in the province ranges from $997 to $3,920. (source: PDF, page 19)
• In 2022, our team surveyed published online prices across Canada, informally sampling cremation providers in each province. This work included Manitoba. Our research showed a range of $1,000 to $4,000 for basic cremation services. Add in a visitation and embalming, as well as interring ashes at a columbarium, and a cremation funeral can climb by $2,000 to $6,000 and cost as much as $10,000 or more, depending on services and interment options selected.

Questions?

Eirene's experts can answer your questions about cremation costs. Email support@eirene.ca. You can see our cremation packages here.

For information about our service areas, please visit our locations page.