Thornton Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Centre – Oshawa
Welcome to Thornton
Safety reminder at our cemeteries: Our cemeteries collectively offer valued green spaces and a vast tree canopy, serving as an important ‘carbon sink’ in urban environments. They also include one of the largest arboretums in Canada. We are so fortunate to have all this beauty in our midst, but that kind of beauty takes expert care to maintain. Our dedicated arborist team has noticed an increase in people approaching them while they’re actively working with chainsaws and wood-chippers. Approaching workers during active tree work can be startling and potentially dangerous. While we understand tree work can be fascinating to watch, please respect all safety barriers and signage while visiting our cemeteries. These setups are in place to protect both the public and our staff. If you have questions or concerns, please direct them to the cemetery office.
Contact:
Cemetery Gate Hours:
April 1 - October 31 – 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
November 1 to March 31 – 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
Cemetery Office Hours:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday to Saturday. Open on Sundays by appointment only. We are closed on public holidays.
Funeral Centre Office Hours:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday to Sunday. We are closed on public holidays.
Thornton has been a trusted part of the Oshawa, Whitby and neighbouring communities since 1984, offering a peaceful and dignified setting for remembrance. Set within the countryside, the grounds feature a tranquil pond and colourful flowerbeds that attract local wildlife, creating a calm, park-like atmosphere for visitors.
The architecture of Thornton’s buildings reflects the heritage of the Oshawa area. With warm red brick reminiscent of traditional Ontario farm homes and stained-glass artwork in the chapel, the site blends historical charm with thoughtful design. A major renovation in 2017 preserved this character while enhancing comfort and accessibility.
To support all guests, Thornton also offers ListenWifi, an assistive audio streaming system that allows visitors to hear services clearly using their smartphones or venue-provided receivers.
I know this will sound funny, but lots of people told me it was the best celebration of life they had attended.
We understand that planning a funeral can feel overwhelming.
That’s why we’re here to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible. You can trust our team to guide you with compassion, openness and transparency every step of the way.
Our Services Offerings at Thornton
Thornton offers a full range of end-of-life services, including cemetery, funeral and cremation options all in one convenient location. Families can choose from traditional or personalized arrangements, with compassionate support every step of the way. Whether planning ahead or in a time of need, Thornton is here to help honour every life with dignity and care.
Funeral Centre
Bringing People Together to Honour Every Life.
Thornton Funeral Centre offers a warm, welcoming environment where families from Oshawa, Whitby and surrounding communities can come together to honour and celebrate the lives of their loved ones. As part of Mount Pleasant Group’s long-standing commitment to compassionate care, our newest chateau-style facility brings all essential services – visitation, funeral, cremation and interment – into one thoughtfully designed, accessible location.
Features include:
- A spacious, light-filled gathering hall designed to accommodate both intimate and large services
- ListenWifi audio streaming system for assistive or personal listening
- Ample on-site parking and a fully accessible, single-storey layout
Cemetery
Thornton Cemetery offers a distinctive blend of natural beauty and local heritage. Its gently sloping landscape, peaceful pond and flourishing gardens provide a calming backdrop for reflection, while birdhouses throughout the grounds invite a sense of life and continuity.
The cemetery’s buildings, crafted from warm red brick and featuring stained-glass accents, pay tribute to the rural roots of the Oshawa area. Renovated in 2017, these spaces continue to serve families with both historical charm and modern comfort.
We offer a range of dignified and flexible burial options to suit your family’s needs and traditions. Whether you’re planning ahead or making arrangements for a loved one, our burial choices provide meaningful ways to honour and remember.
Ground Burial
Our team is here to help you choose the option that best reflects your wishes and honours your loved one’s memory.
- Single graves with flat markers – Accommodate up to two caskets and four cremated remains (unless otherwise specified in the interment rights agreement)
- Single graves with upright monuments – Allow for traditional headstones and the burial of up to two caskets and four cremated remains
- Larger lots – Two or more graves that permit upright monuments, ideal for family plots or shared memorials
Cremation Interment
At Thornton Cemetery, we offer a variety of cremation interment options to help families create meaningful and lasting tributes. Located in a peaceful, natural setting in Oshawa, our grounds provide both traditional and creative choices for the final resting place of cremated remains. Whether you prefer a private niche, ground burial or a shared memorial space, Thornton offers flexible options to suit your family’s wishes.
- Outdoor granite columbariums
- Cremation burial plots which permit flat markers or upright monuments or are adjacent to walls or boulders
- An ossuary surrounded by granite columns for inscriptions
- Memorial areas where cremated remains can be scattered
- Indoor glass niches
Family and Pet Section
Thornton Cemetery offers a dedicated Pet and Family Section, providing a peaceful final resting place for individuals who wish to be interred alongside their beloved pets. These specially landscaped areas offer a natural buffer from traditional burial sections, creating a serene and respectful environment for families and their companion animals.
Currently, we offer interment of pet cremated remains either with their owner or in a separate plot. Human interment options include casket burial, cremated remains burial, niche entombment and scattering. While we do not provide pet cremation services, families can work with local veterinary offices or private pet crematories to arrange cremation before interment.
As defined by our cemetery by-laws, pets include domesticated animals commonly kept for companionship or support, excluding exotic, farm or wild animals.
Veterans' Section
Thornton’s dedicated veterans’ section honours Canadian and Allied veterans and their spouses with a striking memorial – a polished granite pyramid set atop a base of rough-hewn stone. In recognition of their service and sacrifice, interment rights in this section are offered at a reduced cost.
Cremation Centre
Thornton Cremation Centre offers families a peaceful, all-in-one location for cremation and memorial services. Since 1984, we’ve provided compassionate care, and following a major renovation in 2017, our facility now features advanced technology and thoughtful design to support every step of the cremation process.
Key features include:
- Beautiful niche area with stained-glass windows by Canadian artist Mimi Gellman
- Cremation and service held in the same building for added convenience
- State-of-the-art cremation equipment with a virtually emission-free abatement system
- The system eliminates nearly 100% of emissions and particulate matter, setting a new standard for environmentally conscious cremation.
- Private witnessing room for families who wish to be present during the cremation process
Virtual Tour of the Thornton Cremation Centre
To learn more about our cremation services or to speak with a member of our team, please call 905-579-6787 or email thorntonfcinfo@mountpleasantgroup.com. We’re here to help with care, compassion and expertise.
Pre-Planning Advisors
Cheryl Smith-Shaw
Discover our history, properties, and perspectives along with the latest Mount Pleasant Group news.
