Funeral Products

Choosing a vessel of final rest for a loved one isn’t something that we generally picture or prepare for. Already in a haze of grief and often shock – selecting a casket is one of the decisions that often hits hardest, as it makes the reality of your loss unavoidable. Our selection rooms offer you the opportunity to see, touch, and feel the many casket options available to you, from simple to high-end. Pricing varies based on materials used (woods, metals, or ‘green’ options), personalization, and features. No matter what your budget, wishes, and expectations look like, your funeral director will guide and educate you so that you make an informed decision with a focus on dignity, affordability, and peace of mind. 

The vehicles that must drive across the grounds of a cemetery to access burial plots are heavy. Driving across plots where a loved one has been laid to rest is unavoidable and can cause settling and sinking damage to the ground which can, in turn, cause damage to the casket below. Casket liners and vaults are designed to prevent settling damage to the casket, and unlike concrete liners that are porous, vaults offer varying degrees of water resistance, as well. Most cemeteries require the use of a liner or vault.

One of the most frequently asked questions when a family chooses cremation for their loved one is ‘Why do we need a casket?’ In Alberta, we are required to cremate in the minimum of a rigid container. Our policy at Park Memorial is that we cremate in the minimum of a wood cremation container (casket) out of respect and dignity for the deceased. Like burial caskets, we offer a selection of caskets from very simple wood with a basic liner and pillow to more elaborate wooden caskets that can be cremated.

Whether your wishes include having your loved one at home with you, placing them to rest in a cemetery or mausoleum, or scattering them in their favourite place, we have a variety of urns and scattering tubes that are as unique as your loved one. If you are wanting something basic or something individually personalized, our funeral directors can guide you in selecting the best options to meet your needs. If you do choose to have your loved one at home with you, it is wise to think of and plan who will care for the urn in generations to come. This is important information to include in both your will and final wishes documents and discussions. Unfortunately, we have had several urns returned to us where this future plan was not considered, and the urn was donated or discarded by accident.

Like a casket vault, an urn vault is designed to preserve the integrity of the urn that is sealed inside, whether the vault is inurned in a cemetery or a mausoleum. The urn vault protects against ground settling in the case of a cemetery as a result of the heavy vehicles that must drive through all areas of the cemetery to allow for burials to take place. Most cemeteries require the use of an urn vault. In the case of a mausoleum or columbarium, the vault protects against the elements and deterioration. Urn vaults also provide varying degrees of water resistance.

Families walking the journey of child loss, or those families with grieving children will find our Comfort Cubs to be a source of comfort. These two soft and huggable stuffed bears each have a pocket that a small keepsake urn can be tucked into. The urn can be used as a cremation container which would be sealed by our cremation specialists, or it can hold notes, photos, or other small keepsakes that can be revisited often while kept safely tucked into the Comfort Cub. We also offer a selection of small, softly styled urns that are designed for baby and child loss families.

Having something tangible that helps you to feel close to your loved one is not only a way to honour and remember them but can also be a source of comfort. We offer a wide range of keepsakes for you to consider, whether for yourself or gifts for pallbearers, family members, and friends. Our keepsake urns and cremation jewelry both offer ways that your loved one can travel and be with you without taking their large urn with you. We offer every family the opportunity to have their loved one’s fingerprint captured digitally. This is a complimentary service, and the family is given a PIN code to access their loved one’s fingerprint when they are ready to do so. We partner with a company called Legacy Touch that offers a line of fingerprint jewelry that the family can opt to order if they choose. Park Memorial also partners with a company called Securigene to provide scientific, medical, and ancestry DNA data preservation about your loved one. The decision to opt for this service must be made before the embalming and/or cremation processes.

From our funeral cards and stationery packages to our Treasured Memories Tribute Packages featuring memorial videos and memory books to our customizable USB drives, and memorial candles, our in-house print shop can create a wide range of funeral and memorial stationery products in tribute to your loved one. Because these are produced in-house by our graphic design staff team, they can be re-ordered as desired, as well. 

Flower arrangements are a meaningful way to express our compassion and sympathy when someone close to us is grieving. Since 1966, Park Memorial has held a floral partnership with Flowers by Merle, one of Edmonton’s longest served florists. We know that your floral decision and order processing will be handled with the utmost of care.