Niagara Falls, ON

Krystal has been a funeral director since 2007 and is the owner of Essentials Cremation and Burial Services (Niagara Region). When Krystal opened Essentials, she saw the need for natural burial advocacy, especially amongst her peers in the funeral profession. She believes in the importance of environmentally friendly death care options and is pleased to have rejoined the GBSC!

North Saanich, BC

Lorraine is a past-president of the BC Funeral Association & A passionate cemeterian caring for families for 20 years at Canada’s first green burial site at Royal Oak Burial Park in Victoria BC
“ A beautiful place to remember “

Victoria, BC

Lacee has a background in landscape architecture and is involved with cemetery planning and design. Lacee is passionate about the designing meaningful and sustainable cemetery landscapes that enhance biodiversity while also creating a sense of place.

Salt Spring Island, BC

Cathy Valentine is the Manager and Co-Owner of the Salt Spring Island Natural Cemetery. She has been a philosopher, yoga teacher, caregiver, and organic farmer for many years; now finding the kinship of these experiences as a Cemeterian. Cathy is a passionate advocate of land conservation and nature, and a lover of sacred space and ceremonies.

Winnipeg, MB

Victoria, BC

Penny Allport is a Life-Cycle Celebrant, Certified Funeral Celebrant, Advisor and Facilitator of Living Well – Dying Well for The Centre for Earth and Spirit.  A resident on the unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən (lay-kwung-gen) speaking peoples territory known as Victoria, BC  Penny is wildly dedicated to bringing somatic, soulful and sacred awareness to conscious living and dying, while tending the ecological impact of our choices on the continuum of all life.

Glen Margaret, NS

Ray’s professional career covered 50 years in risk management in Europe, North America and Asia. Now resident in Nova Scotia and mostly retired from business he is devoting his time to not for profit and charitable enterprises. He keenly supports the growth of natural burial in Canada.

Winnipeg, MB

Richard began his career in funeral service in Winnipeg in 1985, graduating from the Western School of Mortuary Science. He founded his funeral company Richard Rosin Funeral Director Ltd. in 2018, and is presently on the Boards of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra and Grace Lutheran Church.

Saskatchewan

Lynn Oliphant lives on a quarter-section of native parkland near Saskatoon with his wife, Rhonda Shewfelt. He holds a PhD in Zoology and is a retired professor having taught at the U of S Veterinary College for nearly 30 years. Lynn and Rhonda are committed to seeing better end-of-life options and established a small 12 plot green burial cemetery on their land.

Quebec

Virginia comes from a background in fashion and textiles and is the founder of Sanctum Shrouds, a line of handcrafted biodegradable burial shrouds. She was drawn to the green funeral movement out of concern for the waste and toxicity of conventional practices. As a new Board member of the GBSC, she is committed to fostering collaboration among Canadian artisans and product suppliers to help expand and facilitate green burial options nationwide.

Victoria, BC

Stephen is a founding member of the GBSC. Now retired, he spent 19 years as Executive Director of Royal Oak Burial Park, in Victoria. Stephen was instrumental in advocating for and then leading the design and development process for Canada’s 1 st urban green burial site ‘The Woodlands” at Royal Oak. He continues to be a strong advocate for the adoption of green burial practices across Canada.