Choosing an urn can feel like the last thing you get to choose for someone. It's a real decision, and it's fine to take your time with it.
Here's where to buy an urn in Canada: online (Amazon.ca, Costco.ca, Walmart.ca, Etsy), from a Canadian urn maker, woodworker or potter, from a monument company, or from a funeral home or cemetery. Before you order, check three things. It should hold about 3.3 litres for most adults. It should close securely. And it should fit where the ashes are going, whether that's a shelf at home, a niche or a plot.
There's no rush. The ashes come back sealed in a plain container, so you can shop after the cremation. An urn isn't part of our fixed, all-inclusive price, and you never have to buy one from your cremation provider. If you're still deciding whether you need an urn at all, start there.
Where to buy an urn in Canada
Many families compare two or three places before they choose. Each has its own strengths.
| Where | What you'll find | How you buy | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online marketplaces (Amazon.ca, Walmart.ca, Etsy) | The widest range, from plain to handmade | Online, shipped to you | Capacity, where it ships from, the return policy |
| Costco.ca | A small range of full-size urns | Online | Each listing's capacity, delivery to your area |
| Canadian urn makers, woodworkers and potters | Custom shapes, wood, ceramic, engraving | Online or in person | How long it takes to make and engrave |
| Monument companies | Stone and granite urns, sometimes matched to a headstone | In person or by phone | The weight, and the cemetery's rules |
| Funeral homes and cemeteries | Urns you can see and hold; staff may know local niche sizes | In person | The price on the itemized quote |
| Your cremation provider | Some providers offer a few models | When you make arrangements | Never required |
A daughter in Toronto might compare a Costco.ca listing with a local woodworker's quote on a Sunday evening, then decide the next week. That's a normal pace.
Does Costco sell urns?
Yes. Costco.ca has an urns section, sold online. When we checked one listing in November 2026, a pewter-finish urn sold as a "Large Urn" was marked online only, with standard shipping included and a stated capacity of up to 195 cubic inches (about 3.2 litres). That's a useful example of why the number matters more than the label: it's just under the 200 cubic inches (3.3 litres) most adults need. Read the capacity on every listing, wherever you buy.
Buying from a funeral home or cemetery
You can buy an urn from a funeral home, and many families like seeing it in person. You can also bring one from anywhere else.
- In Ontario, a funeral operator can't charge you a fee for a supply you bought somewhere else, such as an urn (O. Reg. 30/11). The Bereavement Authority of Ontario suggests telling the provider before you sign.
- In Quebec, the contract must describe each item and show its own price (Office de la protection du consommateur). The urn is its own line, so you can see it and decline it.
What size urn do you need?
Size is the part worth checking twice. Urn makers use a rule of thumb: about 1 cubic inch of capacity for every pound of body weight before cremation. For most adults, that means an urn of about 3.3 litres (200 cubic inches). Canadian listings often give cubic inches, so here are both.
| Weight before cremation | Capacity to look for |
|---|---|
| 45 kg (100 lb) | about 1.6 L (100 cubic inches) |
| 68 kg (150 lb) | about 2.5 L (150 cubic inches) |
| 91 kg (200 lb) | about 3.3 L (200 cubic inches) |
| 113 kg (250 lb) | about 4.1 L (250 cubic inches) |
| 136 kg (300 lb) | about 4.9 L (300 cubic inches) |
If you're between two sizes, choose the larger one. A little room inside is easier than a lid that won't close. Keepsake urns hold only a small share of the ashes, for family members who each want some nearby. There are other ways to keep a portion close, too, such as cremation jewelry and ashes keepsakes.
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How big is a standard urn for ashes?
A standard adult urn holds about 3.3 litres, or roughly 14 cups. Words like "adult", "standard" or "large" aren't measurements, and sellers use them differently. Look for a capacity in litres or cubic inches. If a listing doesn't give one, ask before you order.
When the catalogue lists dimensions, not capacity
Some catalogues give only the outside height and width. That can mislead you: thick wood or stone walls take up space, and a narrow neck can stop the bag from going in. Ask the seller two questions: what's the capacity, and how wide is the opening?
The ashes usually come back in a sealed plastic bag inside a box. If they're already home, measure the bag before you order. If the bag doesn't fit the urn you love, there are simple fixes in our guide to how to put ashes in an urn, and what to do if the bag doesn't fit.
Before you order, check where the ashes are going
The right urn depends on where it will rest. A beautiful urn that doesn't fit the niche means a second purchase, so this check is worth five minutes.
| Where the ashes are going | What to check before you buy |
|---|---|
| A niche or columbarium | Ask the cemetery for the niche's inside height, width and depth, in writing |
| Burial in a cemetery plot | Ask whether the urn needs an outer container or must be biodegradable. For a family grave, see burying the urn in an existing family plot |
| A flight | Airport security (CATSA) allows up to 350 mL of ashes in a carry-on, so only a keepsake fits in the cabin. For the full amount, ask your airline about checked baggage, or send it by air cargo (CATSA) |
| Scattering | A scattering tube or a plain box is enough; you don't need a display urn |
| Home | A lid that screws shut or a base that seals, and a shape that won't tip easily. More on keeping the ashes at home |
A Montréal family with a church niche, for example, can save themselves a return by getting the niche measurements first, then shopping with those numbers in hand.
When to buy the urn, and getting the ashes into it
There's no need to rush. Some families buy an urn within days; others wait months until they know what they want. If the urn is for a service or a Mass on a set date, order early enough for delivery and any engraving, and confirm the timing with the seller.
You can also buy an urn before someone passes away. Some families find it a comfort to choose together. Others prefer to wait, and both are fine.
If you're arranging a cremation with Cleo, the ashes come home in a sealed container, and moving them into an urn takes about 15 minutes. Our step-by-step guide walks you through it. You never have to buy an urn from us.
Questions families ask
Frequently asked questions
Where's the best place to buy an urn?
It depends on what matters most to you. For the widest choice and home delivery, shop online. To see and hold the urn first, visit a funeral home or a monument company. For something made for one person, with wood, clay or engraving, go to a Canadian maker. Whichever you choose, check the capacity and how the lid closes before you pay.
Where can I buy a custom urn?
Canadian woodworkers, potters and urn makers take custom orders, often online through Etsy or their own websites. Monument companies make stone urns and can match a headstone. Ask how long the work and engraving take, and give the maker the capacity you need, about 3.3 litres for most adults.
How much do ashes weigh after cremation?
For an adult, the ashes typically weigh about 2 to 3 kg (4 to 6 lb). Weight isn't what decides the urn, though. Volume does, which is why capacity in litres or cubic inches is the number to check.
Can I bring my own urn to the funeral home?
Yes. In Ontario, a funeral operator can't charge you a fee for an urn you bought elsewhere, and in Quebec the urn appears as its own line on the contract, so you can decline it. Tell the provider ahead of time so they know to expect it.
Take the time you need
You don't have to get this done this week. Once the ashes are home, you can take the time you need to choose, and the right urn, wherever you buy it, is the one that fits your loved one and the place they'll rest.
If you'd like to talk it through, a real person answers, 24/7, in English or French. Our cremation is one fixed, all-inclusive price, and we stay on for months after: paperwork, government benefits and the loose ends that come up later.
(438) 817-1770