First Memorial Funeral Services & Garden of Memories

Personalized funerals

Our mission  at First Memorial Funeral Services is to help families create personalized funerals and memorials. This approach keeps us open to traditional religious rites as well as contemporary gatherings that deeply reflect a person's life. That means that whether you want a basic cremation with cremated remains scattered in a personally meaningful place, a funeral at the funeral home with cemetery burial nearby, or a modern celebration of life with live music and a send-off that expresses the passions of yourself or your loved one, we are happy to deliver. If you can imagine it, we can make it happen.

Whether traditional or increasingly creative, our funerals and memorials leave lasting and healing impressions on families and their guests. First Memorial Funeral Services is the leader in funeral services in the Victoria community, and the care that our staff provides is unmatched. In addition to conducting funerals and arranging cremations, we will forward or receive remains. We are a non-denominational funeral home and work with all churches and cemeteries.

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.

People you can count on

Our caring team members are all professionally trained, provincially licensed and accredited. They are dedicated, innovative and committed to excellence. Whether you need a simple cremation with no service or a highly personalized celebration of life, we at First Memorial Funeral Services are honoured to serve you. Feel free to call us 24 hours a day.

Garden of Memories

Unique to Vancouver Island, the Garden of Memories is a place to memorialize loved ones who have chosen cremation. Nestled in a hollow adjacent to Victoria's Royal Oak Burial Park, it offers a tranquil setting for families and friends to gather and reflect. Thoughtfully situated between elegant gazebos and winding paths are a range of inurnment choices: granite columbaria, memorial books, ossuaries, urn gardens, gazebo niches, scroll walls, terraced brick wall niches and family estate memorials beautifully finished in natural stone. A waterfall provides a gentle soundtrack; delicate patterns of rain and sunlight dance across the pond.

Community service

Throughout the year, First Memorial Funeral Services holds a number of events. Reflections is one of those special occasions. Held each December, the service allows families the opportunity to come together and remember their loved ones during the Christmas season. We also open our doors to Victoria community organizations for meetings, luncheons and other events.

History

"A company that is dedicated to compassionately supporting families at difficult times, celebrating the significance of lives that have been lived, and preserving memories that transcend generations, with dignity and honour." That is our philosophy at First Memorial Funeral Services.

It's a philosophy that emerged during the Vietnam War, when many people were facing the emotional and financial burdens of burying their loved ones. Our founders believed that everyone was entitled to a dignified funeral service. Today, we hold true to the same simple belief and continue the tradition of affordable, compassionate service. To that end, our facilities' prices for burial and cremation have remained affordable—without sacrificing professionalism, quality or care.

An enduring legacy

First Memorial Funeral Services has served Canadian families since 1961. Through the years, we grew from a single funeral home location to a network of funeral homes throughout British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. We provide a range of services to meet the ever-changing needs of the people for whom we care.

Today, First Memorial Funeral Services and Garden of Memories are members of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, offering compassionate care and personalized service you can trust.