Why an Edmonton woman is planning her own eco-friendly funeral

An Edmonton woman is hoping to leave a smaller environmental footprint on the planet when she dies.

After a family member died without making funeral arrangements, Jan Perrin says she decided to start planning her own.

“I wanted my friends and family to have that peace of mind and also peace of mind for myself in that I chose exactly what I wanted,” Perrin told CTV News Edmonton.

During the process, she discovered “green burials.” A more environmentally friendly way to bury a body, something that’s been done for centuries.

“There's no embalming, there's no chemicals, there's like even the casket itself with green burial is entirely biodegradable,” Perrin said.

"(It’s) the idea that you're going to nourish the earth that you have taken from your entire life, it's almost like giving back to Mother Nature after your after life has ended.”

What is a green burial?

The practice has become so popular, the City of Edmonton has its own green burial area at Aurora Gardens at Northern Lights Cemetery, another is already on the way. The city says tree, shrub and wildflower planting is done seasonally after a burial.

The area has paths so family and friends can walk around without disturbing plant life.

The process for a green burial is slightly less expensive than a traditional burial and by planning early, prices can be locked in against inflation.

Perrin says generally she tries to live her life as environmentally friendly as possible and knew a green burial was for her as a traditional cemetery felt “more morbid.”

“The first time that I read about it, it was exactly what I wanted. I love nature,” Perrin said.

“The idea of having my final resting place be in a park where there's native flora and fauna, a place where people can enjoy walking around, is just such a dream come true.”

She says the process of planning her green burial was a lot simpler than she thought it would be as she doesn’t need to make any immediate decision. 

Jan Perrin and Trinity Funeral Home family service manager Sarah Bailey discussing a green burial. (CTV Edmonton)

Planning a green burial

The first green burial in Edmonton took place in February 2020 with Trinity Funeral Home.

“Green (burial) is a newer option and with education, it’s becoming more received and people are choosing it,” Trinity Funeral Home family service manager Sarah Bailey told CTV Edmonton.

Bailey says a traditional basket burial involves embalming, body preparation and dressing, hair and makeup so family and friends can see the body before it’s buried.

A green burial is more straightforward, with nothing being done to alter the body.

“It’s done relatively quickly after death, so typically, we're looking at three to five days,” Bailey said.

Bailey says while green burials are becoming more popular, it’s usually people who care about the environment that choose it.

“They want things to be kept relatively simple … It's very intimate, it's very serene. It's very calm and quiet. It's lovely.”

While opting for a traditional burial or cremation can offer these things as well, Bailey says people who choose a green burial want to protect the earth and be buried in a peaceful manner.

Many people might not talk about funeral arrangements with the family because they don’t want to talk about death, but preplanning can be better in the long run.

“I have people say I had no idea it would be this easy to sit down and make these arrangements, and I'm so glad I did.”

With files from CTV Edmonton’s Connor Hogg