Last updated: August 23, 2026
When someone passes away in Ontario, the first step is to have the death confirmed. For an expected death at home, call the attending doctor or palliative team. For a sudden or unexpected death, call 911. After that, contact the executor named in the will, choose a funeral home or transfer service, register the death, and notify government offices and benefit providers.
That is the short version. The rest of this guide walks through each step in plain language. It covers the paperwork, funeral planning, the CPP death benefit, death certificates, and your rights when buying a casket, urn, or monument. Grief is heavy enough without confusion piled on top, so take it one step at a time.
Quick Checklist: What to Do When Someone Dies in Ontario
Contact the doctor, palliative team, or 911, depending on the situation.
Let immediate family know and find the executor named in the will.
Select a funeral home or transfer service to bring the person into care.
Begin the death registration process with the funeral director.
The funeral director can provide a statement of death while you wait for official certificates.
Order several official copies for banks, benefits, and estate matters.
Contact Service Canada, CRA, banks, insurers, and pension providers.
Plan burial, cremation, casket, urn, cemetery, or monument needs.
The First Hours
What you do first depends on how and where the person died.
If the death was expected
You usually do not need to call 911. When a doctor or palliative team has been caring for your loved one, call them instead. This is part of Ontario’s Expected Death in the Home protocol, often called EDITH. They confirm the death and complete the Medical Certificate of Death. This helps keep the moment calm and private.
If the death was sudden
Call 911. Paramedics respond, and the coroner may be involved. The coroner’s office will tell you when a funeral home or transfer service can arrange transportation. This can take a few hours. In some cases, it may take longer.
If the death happened in a hospital or long term care home, staff handle the first steps for you. They confirm the death, complete the medical paperwork, and give you time. You still choose which funeral home or transfer service brings your loved one into care.
What Happens When Someone Dies at Home in Ontario?
If someone dies at home in Ontario, the next step depends on whether the death was expected.
If the person was receiving care from a doctor, nurse practitioner, or palliative care team, call that care provider first. They can guide you through the expected death process and help complete the medical paperwork.
If the death was sudden, unexpected, or there is no care team involved, call 911. Emergency services will respond and decide if the coroner needs to be contacted.
After the death is confirmed, you can choose a funeral home or transfer service. They will arrange transportation and help with the paperwork needed for burial or cremation.
Who to Contact First
Tell close family and friends, then find the original will. The person named in the will to manage the estate is the executor. In Ontario, this person may also be called the estate trustee. The executor has the authority to make many of the decisions ahead, including funeral arrangements.
A funeral home can coordinate transportation, paperwork, and the service. What surprises many families is that you are not required to buy everything from the funeral home. Ontario law gives you the right to buy a casket, urn, or monument from an independent provider. The funeral home cannot charge an extra handling fee when you buy elsewhere. In limited cases it may decline a casket it considers unsafe or inappropriate for its intended use. All caskets Haven sells are made for funeral use. In our experience, funeral homes across the GTA accept the caskets we deliver.
If you want to see options, you can browse our caskets or cremation urns at any time. Buying directly can help families compare styles and prices during a week that is already expensive. You can also read our guide on your right to buy a casket independently.
The Paperwork
Two documents start the official process.
| Document | Who completes it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Certificate of Death | The attending doctor or coroner | The medical cause of death |
| Statement of Death | The funeral director with a family member | Personal details, age, and place of death |
The funeral director normally submits both documents to the municipal clerk or the Office of the Registrar General. This registers the death.
A burial permit is required before any burial or cremation. This is required even if the burial or cremation takes place outside Ontario. Your funeral director usually arranges this for you.
A death certificate is a separate document. You may need several official copies to settle the estate, close accounts, and claim benefits. Order at least three.
Important timing note: A provincial death certificate from ServiceOntario costs roughly $15 to $22 per copy. The Office of the Registrar General may take up to 16 weeks to process a death registration. A certificate cannot be issued until the death is registered, so apply early.
While you wait, the funeral director can give you a funeral director’s statement of death. Many banks and agencies accept this as temporary proof of death.
Documents You Will Need Later
Keep these documents together in one place. It can save hours later.
Personal and estate documents
- The original will and any codicils
- Several official death certificates
- Funeral director’s statement of death
- The deceased’s birth certificate
- The deceased’s marriage certificate, if available
- Social Insurance Number
Financial and property records
- Bank account details
- Investment and pension account details
- Property deeds
- Vehicle ownership documents
- Insurance policies
- Recent tax returns
- Funeral, cremation, cemetery, casket, urn, and monument receipts
Funeral or Cremation
Burial, cremation, and other funeral options vary widely in price. The total cost depends on the service, the casket or urn, the cemetery, and any additional products or ceremonies.
Seeing the cost ranges early can take pressure off the decision. Our guide to funeral costs in Ontario and the GTA breaks the numbers down. You can also estimate your funeral costs with our free tool.
You never have to accept the first quote. Caskets can be one of the larger items on a funeral bill and often carry one of the bigger markups, so it is worth comparing options before you decide. Buying a casket independently is legal in Ontario. The choice is yours.
Funeral Planning in Toronto and the GTA
In Toronto, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Scarborough, North York, and the rest of the GTA, funeral homes, cemeteries, and crematoriums may have different timelines and product requirements.
If you are arranging a casket delivery, urn purchase, cemetery monument, or monument engraving, confirm the funeral home or cemetery requirements before ordering. Some cemeteries have rules for monument size, granite colour, base size, lettering, and installation.
For burial, families may also need to choose a cemetery monument later. If you are planning ahead, you can browse our custom monuments or read our guide on what to write on a headstone.
How Haven Casket & Monument Can Help
Haven Casket & Monument helps families across Toronto and the GTA choose caskets, cremation urns, grave markers, monuments, and cemetery lettering with clear pricing and no pressure. Our urn buying guide covers sizes, materials, and costs.
At our Markham showroom, you can compare products in person and get help with funeral home delivery, cemetery requirements, monument design, approval steps, and installation timing.
If you need final date engraving or want to add a name to an existing headstone, our team can guide you through the next steps.
The CPP Death Benefit in 2026
The Canada Pension Plan death benefit is a one time payment. The rules changed for deaths on or after January 1, 2025.
There are now two parts: a basic amount of $2,500 and a possible top-up of $2,500. This means the maximum payment can be $5,000.
The extra $2,500 only applies when all of these are true:
- The death was on or after January 1, 2025
- The deceased never received a CPP or Quebec Pension Plan retirement pension
- The deceased never received a CPP or QPP disability benefit
- The deceased never received a post retirement disability benefit
- No surviving spouse or common law partner is eligible for a CPP survivor’s pension
- The deceased met the standard CPP contribution requirement
If the top-up conditions are not met, the estate may still receive the basic $2,500.
Who applies matters, and this is the part families miss. The benefit does not only go to an estate.
If there is an estate, the executor named in the will applies. A court appointed administrator can apply instead. The executor should apply within 60 days of the death.
The benefit is also open to others in two cases. One is that no estate exists. The other is that the executor has not applied for it. In either case, people can apply in this order of priority:
- The person or institution that paid, or is responsible for paying, the funeral expenses
- The surviving spouse or common law partner of the deceased
- The next of kin of the deceased
So if you paid for the funeral, you may be able to apply yourself. Applications go through Service Canada. It decides who is paid.
Notifying the Government and Others
Most of this falls to the executor. A written list helps more than memory does.
Government offices
- Service Canada: stop CPP and OAS payments to avoid overpayments, and apply for the CPP death benefit
- Canada Revenue Agency: file the final tax return for the deceased
- ServiceOntario: return the health card and driver’s licence
Banks, home, and accounts
- Banks: notify banks and close or transfer accounts when allowed
- Insurance companies: contact life, home, auto, and health insurers
- Pension providers: notify workplace pensions and private pension plans
- The home: secure the residence, mail, vehicles, and valuables
- Other contacts: notify the family doctor, passport office, memberships, and subscriptions
If There Is No Will
An estate with no will is called intestate. Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act decides who inherits. This usually starts with a spouse and children.
Before anyone can act for the estate, a close family member usually has to apply to the court to be appointed estate trustee. This extra step takes time. If there is no will, get legal advice early.
The First Month: Executor Checklist
These tasks often happen in the first 30 days. They do not all have to happen at once.
Settling an estate in full can take time. Probate, taxes, property, and final account closures often take 12 to 18 months. Be patient with yourself and with the process.
What to Do When a Parent Dies in Ontario
When a parent dies in Ontario, the first steps are the same. Confirm the death, contact close family, find the will, and choose a funeral home or transfer service.
After that, check who is named as executor. If you are the executor, you may need to arrange the funeral, order death certificates, notify government offices, contact banks, and manage estate paperwork.
If another person is named as executor, let them know as soon as possible. They may need the original will, account information, funeral receipts, and details about your parent’s home, pension, insurance, and taxes.
Thinking About the Future
Many families tell us later that they wish some choices had been made in advance. Planning ahead can make things easier for loved ones. It also lets decisions be made calmly instead of during a difficult week.
If that is on your mind, you can learn more about pre-planning whenever you are ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you have to register a death in Ontario?
The funeral director usually submits the registration within a few days. In 2026, the Office of the Registrar General may take up to 16 weeks to process the registration before the official death certificate can be issued.
How much does a death certificate cost in Ontario?
A death certificate from ServiceOntario usually costs about $15 to $22 per copy. Order at least three copies for estate and benefit purposes.
Do you have to use a funeral home in Ontario?
No. You can work with a funeral home, but you are not required to buy every product from them. Ontario law protects your right to buy a casket, urn, or monument from an independent provider, with no extra handling fee.
Who do you call when someone dies at home in Ontario?
If the death was expected, call the doctor, nurse practitioner, or palliative care team involved in the person’s care. If the death was sudden or unexpected, call 911.
What happens when someone dies in a hospital in Ontario?
Hospital staff confirm the death and complete the first medical paperwork. The family still chooses the funeral home or transfer service that will bring the person into care.
What is the CPP death benefit in 2026?
For deaths on or after January 1, 2025, the CPP death benefit includes a basic $2,500 payment and a possible $2,500 top-up. The maximum payment can be $5,000. The top-up only applies if specific conditions are met. The executor or a court appointed administrator applies when there is an estate. Others can apply if no estate exists, or if the executor has not applied. They apply in order of priority. First the person or institution that paid, or is responsible for paying, the funeral expenses. Then the surviving spouse or common law partner. Then next of kin.
Can I buy a casket outside the funeral home in Ontario?
Yes. Families in Ontario have the right to buy a casket from an independent provider. The funeral home cannot charge an extra handling fee. In limited cases it may decline a casket it considers unsafe or inappropriate for its intended use. All caskets Haven sells are made for funeral use. In our experience, funeral homes across the GTA accept the caskets we deliver.
When should I order a headstone or cemetery monument?
You do not need to order a headstone right away. Many families wait until after the funeral. Before ordering, confirm the cemetery’s monument rules, size limits, granite requirements, and approval process.
There is no perfect way through these days. Take the first steps, let people help, and handle the rest as you can.
If you have questions about caskets, urns, monuments, or cemetery lettering, our family run team will give you straight answers with no pressure. Call Haven Casket & Monument at 1-905-604-7555 when you are ready. For official provincial guidance, the Government of Ontario page on what to do when someone dies is also a helpful reference.