This has been a big year for Green Burial Advocacy in Kingston! There are now officially 105 green burial plots in Kingston, and this could not have happened without the support of our members and community interest…
Thank YOU for being part of our success!
Kingston’s First Green Burial Site is OPEN!
Ted Hsu wields his scissors as he makes congratulatory remarks prior to ribbon-cutting, flanked by Sue Lyon, GBK pioneer, and David, her husband.
After years of faithful planning and prodding by Green Burial Kingston members, the long-awaited opening of the first site at Pine Grove Cemetery with 105 lots, occurred on September 7, 2025. It was a celebratory moment, that began with some arriving on a Kingston trolley bus festooned with GBK banners—made by Gini Forbes—to greet the crowd who had arrived by other means. Sue Lyon greeted the spectators and invited the opening speeches. The short-and-sweet event peaked with the ribbon-cutting by Ted Hsu, our MPP from Queen’s Park, who also expressed his delight in this achievement. Guests shared the snacks and cool drinks that followed.
Visitors explored the site, including those who already had lots. They were pleased to discover that their friends would one day be in neighbouring lots. With more than 80 lots sold, there is clearly scope for expansion, either on an enlarged site at Pine Grove Cemetery or elsewhere.
Pine Grove Cemetery is located at 4251 Church Ln, Kingston, ON K0H 2N0
Since the opening of the site in September, the City has now confirmed that winter burials will be going ahead – something that was previously not permitted – another step in the right direction for better access to Green Burials in Kingston! See the City of Kingston‘s page for details on plot purchasing and more details
Members of the Green Burial Kingston Working Group around the explainer sign at Pine Grove Cemetery at the opening ceremony.
Planning a Green Burial
By David Lyon
For the obvious reason that it’s a unique event, few people are truly ready when someone dies. So you feel somewhat at sea, emotionally vulnerable, and not sure how to proceed. And if it’s a green burial—though this was once the “normal” way to go—this may seem to complicate things further. But just remember, it’s the family’s choice that matters, particularly when you’re following the wishes of the person who has now died.
Provincial law is on the side of those who wish to do things their way. As long as you have the death certificate, for instance, you can take your own vehicle to pick up the body from a hospital or other location, and you can be in charge of the visitation—if that’s desired—in a cool place such as your home (using dry ice in summer if necessary). And you can run the ceremony as you and your family wish—which is also a profound way of helping to express and cope with grief.
We’ve all become used to thinking that when someone dies you call the “funeral director.” And you may want to do this anyway, but beware—they don’t always know or care about green burials. In Kingston, the older family businesses are likely to be “green-ready.”
The key features of green burial are no embalming, no concrete vault, earth-friendly caskets or shrouds, and maintaining a natural habitat. A funeral director may be able to help with finding a suitable casket or shroud, assuming that no one in the family knows how to make or find one. And of course, you can always find a local maker online.
Green burials are also enhanced by the involvement of family and friends in the whole event. And the more this is understood, the more the burial will be something that helps in the grieving process. So, if you wish, you can choose to organize the little procession to the graveside, perhaps with musician friends and family, and the ceremony itself. And a green burial also lends itself to your participation in the burial—lowering the casket, or the board carrying its shrouded body—and adding foliage or flowers. You can also assist in filling the grave with soil.
In all these ways, a green burial is much more than a technical matter of ensuring the earth-friendliness of the physical process. It can also support family and friends by enhancing the death-care aspects of this moment. It’s both earth-friendly and people-friendly.
You can find more practical information from the Toronto-based Natural Burial Association and also the Green Burial Council in the US.
And you can contact Green Burial Kingston for other local information, or visit the City of Kingston‘s website for pricing and purchasing a plot.
Upcoming Events/Volunteers Needed!
Green Burial Kingston will be participating in two events this spring season:
Earth Fest, 6 June 2026 10-4pm at Confederation Park
Skeleton Park Arts Fest, 20 June 2026 at McBurney Park
Come say hello! Or if you have the time to give, we would love you to have you volunteer at our booth, talking to our community who are curious about what green burial is. Email greenburialkingston@gmail.com if you would like more information!
What’s Next? Join Us!
Advocacy work can feel like a never ending slow roll of work to hit the next milestone, but once you reach it, it all feels so worth it!
Having these plots in Kingston is a great first step in the path toward a greener end of life option for everyone in our community. Moving forward, we will be looking for more land that can be converted into green burial locations, and advocating to the city to expand Pine Grove Cemetery into the woodlands.
If you have any suggestions or would like to become part of our working group, we would welcome the help! We are currently looking for a treasurer, and someone to take over communications (social media, emails).
Email Sue at greenburialkingston@gmail.com if you would like to join us!
Learn More about Green Burial
Green Burial Kingston is pleased to be affiliated with Green Burial Society of Canada, founded in 2013 to make environmentally responsible, culturally meaningful death care options available to all Canadians. Learn more from their website. We encourage you to sign up for their newsletter.