First Memorial Funeral Services & Boal Chapel and Memorial Gardens

Personalized funeral services

At First Memorial Funeral Services, we believe that every life is unique. That belief is what drives us to provide personalized funerals and memorial services with a focus on honouring the lives of loved ones in unique and meaningful ways. Whether you prefer a traditional funeral service, a small gathering of friends and families or an elaborate celebration of life, we are committed to meeting your needs and wishes.

Our specially trained celebrants talk with your family and friends to learn about your loved one's life. Using that knowledge, the celebrant will create a one-of-a-kind ceremony that incorporates your loved one's passions, hobbies and interests. Did he hit the links every weekend? We can showcase his treasured clubs, put a putting green in the chapel and give guests personalized golf balls. Was she always first in line to see the latest blockbusters? We can roll out the red carpet and velvet ropes and play clips of her favourite movies on our large screens. We'll serve popcorn, candy and soft drinks, of course. There's almost no limit to what we can do. How will you celebrate your loved one's life? 

Cremation services

We specialize in cremation services that honor loved ones in personalized ways, and families love our transparent pricing. With expertise in scattering ashes and a friendly team who pays attention to every detail, we provide service that is second to none.

More and more people are choosing cremation over traditional burial, but most aren’t familiar with the many options:

• a cremation without a funeral or memorial service of any kind.
• a funeral with your loved one present, followed by cremation.
• a cremation followed by a scattering, cemetery memorialization or celebration of life—or all three.

For those who wish for a more momentous memorial, Neptune Memorial Reef is an underwater cremation garden off the coast of Florida. A Celestis Memorial Spaceflight takes ashes into space for a little while or forever.

There are many options for cremation—and they're not all equal. Here's what you can expect when you choose us for your loved one's cremation:

• Custody of care guaranteed. Our custody-of-care program helps safeguard the identification of your loved one from the time we bring them into our care until the time we return them to your family. We check, cross-check and check again, every step of the way.
• Exclusive custody of your loved one. We use only crematories owned and operated by Dignity Memorial^® providers or trusted partners. Once your loved one is in our custody or that of a trusted partner, they’re in our care until they’re returned to your family.
• Licensed, certified, conscientious staff. All Dignity Memorial crematory operators are licensed and certified by Cremation Association of North America, or CANA. Only one person at a time is cremated, and the cremation chamber is thoroughly cleaned before the next person is cremated.

Read more about our cremation services.

Welcoming chapel

Our non-denominational chapel provides funeral and memorial services for families of all cultures, religions and backgrounds. The open-concept chapel has a distinctly modern feel, with a glass ceiling that allows natural light to stream in. It seats 170 people with an overflow of up to 225 people for larger services.

The sun-filled reception room is ideal for catered receptions and celebration of life events. With our professional catering service, we can serve anything from light appetizers and refreshments to a formal dinner with white table cloths and waiter service.

For families who choose cremation, we have a strong relationship with West Coast Crematorium. We are also happy to coordinate with the crematorium of your choice.

Serving diverse backgrounds

The cultural diversity of our region is reflected in the many cultures we serve. First Memorial Funeral Services welcomes everyone, from every background.

We also understand the large financial impact that funerals, memorials and cremations can have on family finances. Our business is designed specifically to offer options that work within a variety of budgets, which gives most families the ability to have dignified funeral services and cremations.

Environmentally conscious

First Memorial Funeral Services recognizes the importance of addressing the environmental impact of cremation. We’re reducing our carbon emissions footprint, while supporting renewable energy in Canada, by choosing green natural gas for 100% of the cremation families we serve, through our partnership with Bullfrog Power. Our green energy commitment is also helping to support new, community-based renewable energy projects in our region and across Canada.

Boal Chapel and Memorial Gardens cemetery

Located at the foot of the North Shore Mountains, Boal Chapel and Memorial Gardens is situated on 5.5 acres with beautifully landscaped gardens, calming water features, serene lakes, charming gazebos and lush plant life. We are one the few cemeteries in the North Vancouver region that has cremation gardens, making us uniquely equipped to serve your cremation memorialization needs.

Peaceful, serene and naturally beautiful, Boal Chapel and Memorial Gardens is an ideal place for honouring the memory of a loved one.

Beautiful cremation gardens

Our beautiful cremation gardens offer a serene and natural place for scattering or inurnment of cremated remains. The gardens were designed to blend in with the area's natural beauty and are noted for their stately trees and verdant greenery.

As you stroll through the grounds, you'll notice a wide range of cremation memorialization options, including pillar estates, boulder estates, column niches, cored companions, stone niches, header columbaria, curb niches and glass niches. The glass niches are located inside Crystal Mausoleum and can be personalized with flowers, photographs, mementos and keepsakes.

Above-ground burial options

In addition to the cremation gardens, the cemetery accommodates above-ground entombment and inurnment in our mausoleums. Crystal Mausoleum has numerous crypt options and offers glass-front niches for cremated remains.

We know choosing a final resting place is a difficult and emotional decision, our trusted cemetery team can guide you through all of these options and help you choose the one that’s best for you and your family.

Chapel and outdoor gazebos

Situated in a private and secluded area of the cemetery, Boal Chapel is an ideal place for a committal or memorial service. Our two lovely gazebos are also beautiful areas for services. With their wooden beamed ceilings, the gazebos complement the forested surroundings so as not to detract from the cemetery's natural beauty. If you wish to use the gazebos or chapel for a service, we are happy to coordinate with First Memorial Funeral Services or the funeral home of your choice so the transition from funeral home to cemetery is as seamless as possible. 

Let us know what you need

Our cemetery does not offer traditional in-ground burials, but our staff is happy to coordinate with other cemeteries for those who want such a burial. Whatever your unique needs, our staff is dedicated to providing cemetery services that are right for you and your family.

Trusted providers

First Memorial Services and Boal Chapel and Memorial Gardens are both members of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, offering personalized care and compassionate service you can trust.

Please call us for any reason at all. We're here for you day and night.

History

First Memorial Funeral Services and Boal Chapel and Memorial Gardens have been staples of North Vancouver for more than 50 years.

Renovations and upgrades

There have been many renovations and upgrades to the funeral home, chapel and cemetery since opening in 1961. In 1992, West Coast Crematorium opened to accommodate the growing demand for cremations. Then, in 1999, First Memorial opened a reception centre where families can host gatherings before or after funeral services.

Crystal Mausoleum was built in 2000. More recently, the cemetery team added scenic landscaping to the memorial gardens. The creation of Crystal Creek in 2015 is perhaps the most notable change: Its calming water flows throughout the cemetery property.