Arrange an interment or burial

To book an interment or burial, specific information is required to complete the interment authorization form. The form will be prepared at the cemetery office and must be signed by a legally authorized person to proceed with arrangements.

Required information

• Full legal name
• Relationship to the rights holder of the interment or burial site
• Relationship to others already interred at the site

Additional information (if available)

• Maiden name or other names used
• Place and date of birth and death
• Name of presiding funeral home
• Location of interment or burial site (if known)

Information icon We will assist you if you are unsure of the location or if there are multiple locations to choose from.

Authorizing individual

The person authorizing the interment must provide their name, contact information, and relationship to the deceased.

Authorized persons

Under section 5 of the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act External website, opens in new tab, these individuals, listed in order of priority, may authorize an interment:

• Personal representative named in the will of the deceased
• Spouse of the deceased
• Adult child or grandchild of the deceased
• Guardian of a deceased minor
• Parent or adult sibling of the deceased
• Adult nephew or niece of the deceased
• Adult next of kin of the deceased, determined on the basis provided by section 23 (5) of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act External website, opens in new tab

Schedule an interment of cremated remains or a casket burial with our cemetery office by:

• Phone: 604-325-2646
• Email: [email protected]

Regular interment hours

• Weekdays: 8:30am to 3pm
• Weekends and holidays: 10am to 2pm 
  Information icon For overtime, additional fees apply

Notice required

• At least 1 working day's notice for weekdays
• Interments on weekends, evenings, and holidays are subject to staff availability and require 1 week of notice

Fees

Regular interment fees apply, with additional overtime fees for weekends and holidays.

Review fees PDF file (138 KB)

Payment required in advance

Information icon All spaces must be fully paid before any interment, burial, or placement of a memorial or grave marker.

What we accept

• Major credit cards
• Debit cards
• Cheques (made payable to 'City of Vancouver')

Information icon Payments in cash are not accepted.

Download the complete list of fees PDF file (138 KB)

You have a number of choices to make if you are booking a casket burial. Review these points to help you prepare for arranging a casket burial:

Site selection

Where will the burial take place? (Dependent on the number of sites owned).

Previous usage

Has the site previously been used for a burial or interment? 

Burial depth

Will the burial be at regular depth or double-depth? Do we need to accommodate a future casket? 

Existing remains

Will we be moving any existing remains deeper in the grave?

Type of burial

Will this be a traditional casket burial or a 'green' burial? 

Direction

Does the head of the deceased need to point in a particular direction? 

Pallbearers

Is the family or the funeral home supplying pallbearers? Information icon Cemetery staff will only assist under rare circumstances.

Concrete vault

Do we want to place the casket in a concrete vault or liner? 

Information icon Concrete casket vaults are not mandatory at Mountain View Cemetery (and are rarely used), but if it is desired, these can be purchased for an additional fee.

Observing closure

Do we wish to watch the grave being 'closed' (filled in)?

Let us know whether or not you wish to watch the grave being ‘closed’ (filled-in) at the end of your service. If so, this process extends the service time and our staff can schedule accordingly.

Final arrangements

After considering these options and consulting with our staff, let us know if you would prefer to meet us at the cemetery office or directly at the interment site on the scheduled date of the interment or burial.

You have a number of choices to make if you are booking an interment of cremated remains. Review these points to help you plan for a cremation interment: 

Site selection

At which site will the interment take place? (Dependent on the number of sites owned).

Previous usage

Has the site previously been used for a burial or interment?

Placement area

In what area of the site will I be placing the cremated remains?

Method of placement

Will the cremated remains be in an urn or container or will they be placed directly in the earth (scattering)?

Placement

Will the cremated remains be placed in the earth or niche by the family or the cemetery staff?

Urn or container fit

Will the chosen urn or container fit in the designated space for interment?

Confirm if the urn or container will fit in our cremation vaults (in-ground) or niches (above-ground). 

• Check allowable dimensions for a proper fit PDF file (384 KB)
• Review liner dimensions for cremated remains PDF file (356 KB)

Plastic vault

For in-ground interments, is it planned to place the urn in a plastic cremation vault?

Niche inscription 

If your are booking an interment of cremated remains in one of our columbaria niches, you can choose to have a niche inscription completed for the event. If we want a niche inscription completed, what will the wording be?

Learn more about niche inscriptions

Observing closure

Do we wish to watch the interment site being 'closed' (filled in or niche panel installed)?

Final arrangements

After considering these options and consulting with our staff, let us know if you would prefer to meet us at the cemetery office or directly at the interment site on the scheduled date of the interment or burial.

We are an active cemetery, so we ask that you arrive on time for your interment or burial so that we aren’t impacted for other services or tasks scheduled for that day.

If you choose to meet us at the cemetery office for an interment of cremated remains, we will lead you out to the site at the desired time. Otherwise, we will meet you at the burial or interment site.

We will have already prepared the site, and we will have made it as presentable as possible for your service.

In addition to cemetery staff, you may also see cemetery equipment around the site if it is required to complete the interment or burial.

While the service is proceeding, we will wait at a respectful distance, but we can be called over to assist at any time, if necessary.

For the interment of cremated remains, the family has the option to place the urn into the grave or niche wall themselves. You can inform us of your preference at the time of the service.

At the end of the service, the family can opt to watch the closing or covering procedure, but we ask that you maintain a safe distance to allow us to complete the work.

The family can remain at the site for as long as they wish after the service.

Fresh cut flowers and select small items may be placed at the site, either directly on the ground or within cemetery-provided flower containers.

Information icon Glass and other breakable containers are not allowed in the cemetery.

Learn more about our adornment policy