Quebec's Le Boisé de Vie - a unique, eco-friendly cemetery

Who wouldn't want to become a tree? Thinking about what will happen to your body once you pass away isn't always a pleasant prospect, but there is a new take on cemeteries in Quebec, Canada that makes the idea a little more palatable.

Bios Park, located in the Canadian province of Quebec, offers an innovative, biodegradable, and sustainable alternative to traditional burial or cremation methods.

(Photo: Urnabios)

The park consists of a large plot of land, slowly becoming a forest as more individuals chose to be buried there. That's right, people who have decided to be buried in Bios Park will have their ashes planted along with a tree of their choosing.

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

So instead of a cemetery full of headstones, eventually, there will be a beautiful forest, with each tree being nourished by the deceased's ashes. Clients can even choose which tree they would like to grow from their ashes.

There are eight different varieties available, all of which have been selected by local gardening experts, specifically to be resistant and require little care to flourish in the local environment. You could choose to have a wild apple tree, an oak, a lilac, or a sugar maple tree, left in your memory on this planet.

Over the last twenty-three years, the Spanish company called Bios Urns has been developing new methods to assist in the disposal of the remains of the deceased. Traditional burials are not only expensive but also not great for the environment.

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

Bios Urns started out creating only biodegradable urns. Their urns are 100% biodegradable and contain a mixture of seeds, fertilizers, and the cremated remains of an individual.

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

However, many of the companies' clients have faced problems finding a place that they are legally allowed to bury the remains of their deceased in the biodegradable urn. Thus, the idea of Bios Park was born.

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

On the Bio Urns website, the company says, "Regulations around the use of human remains vary widely from country to country. In some countries, it is even considered illegal. We need to challenge that. Every single person should have the right to do with their remains or those of a loved-one how best they see fit."

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

The company came up with the idea of Bios Parks as a solution. According to their website, "Bios Parks® are open green spaces to commemorate and remember our loved ones in a natural environment and in harmony with nature. In a Bios Park® you will be able to plant the Bios Urns® for people and for pets directly in the ground." 

(Photo: UrnasBio)

Le Boisé de Vie is the very first Bios Park to open in the world. Those who decide to have the remains of a loved one placed in the Bios Park may choose not only the tree but also the plot where it will go.

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

Families may choose a communal plot and plant trees of family members next to one another to create a physical family tree. Clients can also decide if they would like to care for the tree themselves or rely on grounds staff to do so for them.

(Photo: UrnasBio)

The company also offers a kind of insurance on the tree planted in a family member's honor. If the tree is damaged or destroyed due to poor weather, the company will replace the tree free of charge. However, only one replacement is included in the park's fees; subsequent replacements will be at the expense of the family.

For some people, though, the idea of leaving a loved one remains in a single physical spot just doesn't work. In an interview with Global News, Isabelle Boalla (pictured) from Bios Urn said, “A lot of people said they live in temporary locations … so it’s hard to find a place to plant. Or they have land, but they are not allowed to plant their urns in cemeteries because they are strict.”

(Photo: UrnasBio)

That is why the company Bio Urns has come up with an innovative solution. The company created Bios Incube, which allows the Bios Urn to be planted indoors and easily transported.

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

The planter also has an excellent drainage system to help ensure that no matter what type of tree or plant is grown in it, it will receive the correct amount of water.

(Photo: Instagram@biosurn)

At the cost of $140 US for an urn or $295 US for the Bios Incube, this green option certainly is a lot more economical than a traditional burial. A look at the Bios Park website and an internet search doesn't give us the price of burial at Le Boisé de Vie in Quebec. However, the idea of one's ashes nourishing a tree is quite poetic and much more sustainable to boot. Would you chose this unique alternative?