If there is anything that Arbor Memorial’s story proves, it’s how powerful a shared mission can be. 

Seventy-five years ago, our journey began with a vision to revitalize cemeteries – to create warmer and more welcoming experiences for families, and beautiful park-like settings for the community to enjoy. As we grew, so did our belief in Arbor Memorial’s role and opportunity to adapt and modernize the end-of-life experience in Canada.  

For the next few decades, we expanded operations across the country, opening cemeteries, crematoriums and funeral homes that could best serve the community, and meet all end-of-life needs. We became pioneers in pre-planning end-of-life arrangements and developing a full-service onsite experience. We have proudly expanded our team to include more than 2,800 hardworking and compassionate professionals from coast-to-coast. 

Everything that we do is guided by our fundamental belief that every life is unique, and every memorial should be too. That belief shapes the way we work closely with families to find meaningful ways to remember and celebrate lives of those they love. 

Today, we’re redefining funeral and cemetery options for a new generation. We are investing in digital transformation and employee training programs, continuously enhancing the customer experience, and educating families on their countless options to personalize a loved one’s memorial.  

We’re continuously innovating to meet the changing needs of Canadians – designing new product and service solutions, creating more affordable cremation options, and collaborating across the industry to better serve the needs of our client families.  

Our focus, now more than ever, is on building a diverse, inclusive team and culture, fostering a workplace that cares about its employees and focusing on our people’s health and well-being. Being recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the fifth year in a row is a testament to Arbor’s clear purpose, and can be attributed to our employees’ teamwork and resilience in unprecedented times. 

Arbor’s mission is why I joined the company 36 years ago. It’s why my family is devoted to carrying on my father’s legacy, and why I feel honoured to be a part of this incredible team. 

For many of us it’s not a job, but a calling; a call to help grieving families through a difficult time by giving them expert guidance so that they can make choices that are right for them. As long as we can offer compassion and empathy to the families we are privileged to serve, we will never stop working to do better. 

I believe our future is bright and wish to thank the Arbor community – new and old – for your unwavering dedication to our mission. I would also like to thank families for placing their trust in us for 75 years. 

-David Scanlan 
Chairman, President & CEO, Arbor Memorial