Providing an alternative.

About us

Forest City Cremation Services is an independently owned Funeral Cremation Transfer Service (not affiliated with a funeral home or cemetery) in the City of London, and in the surrounding counties. Forest City Cremation Services will oversee all aspects of cremation and burial planning, ensuring that your needs are addressed in a compassionate, professional manner. Forest City Cremation Services is not a funeral home, so it is able to offer dignified services at a reasonable price. Your options are fully explained and your questions are answered honestly.

Forest City Cremation Services offers simple cremation and burial services throughout London, and surrounding counties at the time of need or when pre-planning for future needs. Our goal is to assist families by caring for their loved one from the time of death until the cremation or burial is finalized in a simple, dignified, and affordable manner.

Forest City Cremation Services assures all customers that we operate under all safety protocols as outlined by Public Health and fully comply with all requirements of our governing body, the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.

Independent

We are independent, not funded by any large companies or corporations.

Forest City Cremation Services is family-owned and operated, by Shawn McKay, who has been a Licensed Funeral Director for over 25 years.

Simple & Affordable

Our simple approach to business can make end of life planning a much more affordable option than traditional full-service funeral arrangements.

All fees are clearly explained. There are no hidden costs and you will never be pressured to buy.

Dignified

We serve all faith traditions.

Many families choose to arrange a service or celebration of life directly with their church, community centre or a local reception facility. Although we do not provide co-ordination services for this portion of your arrangements, we welcome any questions you may have as it relates to the end of life arrangements we provide for you.

Our History

In the Spring of 2001, Forest City Cremation Services opened its doors in the City of London at the corner of Richmond and Oxford Streets. The opening of Forest City Cremation Services changed the face of the funeral industry in a progressive way paving the road for families who wish to keep arrangements basic and simple for themselves or for a loved one who has passed away. In 2005, Forest City Cremation Services out grew that location and moved to a modern, barrier-free location with free parking located in the Talbot Court building conveniently located at 341 Talbot Street in London, Ontario.

Forest City Cremation Services saw more and more families looking for basic cremation and burial services, as well as anatomical donations to medical science through the bequeath program at the University of Western Ontario. Forest City Cremation is in cooperation with all three crematoriums, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Woodland Cemetery and Forest Lawn. Serving families in the Middlesex, Elgin, Bruce, Oxford, Huron and Perth counties for over 30 years, Forest City Cremation Services has an outstanding appreciation for those who wish to keep arrangements simple and are cost conscious.​

About Shawn McKay

Owner Operator, McKay Memorials
Funeral Director, Licensed 1998

Shawn McKay graduated from the Funeral Services Education Program at Humber College in 1998. He worked as a Funeral Director in Toronto, followed by several years in Australia. After returning, he continued in the bereavement sector in Stratford before purchasing Tri-City Cremation Services to serve families under his independent direction.

Shawn and his family have owned and operated Tri-City Cremation Services in Kitchener and Cambridge since 2014. Shawn recently expanded to include a London location, Forest City Cremation Services, and continues to enhance the services provided to meet the growing needs of the families in this community.

His passion for helping families commemorate the life of a loved one in a simpler, more affordable yet distinctly dignified manner fuels Shawn’s dedication to the families he serves. Planning for peace of mind is a key focus for Shawn and the whole team at Forest City Cremation Services.

Our Team

Donna-Marie Wilson

Funeral Director

Licensed 1994

Lisa Gillett

Funeral Director

Licensed 2013

Bruce Shorthouse

Funeral Director

Licensed 2008

Marcel Peper

Funeral Director

Licensed 2012

Testimonials

  • Hi Shawn. Just want to take this opportunity to thank you very much for your services in regard to my mom's cremation. You made the whole process easy for us, smooth and seamless at a difficult time. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Your Care Guide. Is very helpful - thank you. Once again, many thanks for your services. We have definitely recommended your company to friends.

  • We thank you so much for your very quick service and attention to details, together with the kindness shown from everyone we encountered.

    Lexanne

  • I just wanted to thank you for how wonderfully everything was handled for my Mom.

    ​I can’t express how much I appreciate it.

  • Thank you— I hope Bruce told you how pleased I have been with the service, from start to finish. You made a very difficult time easy.

  • “Once again, thank you so much for your kind service on behalf of myself and her family, we thank you for making a difficult time seamless”

  • I would like to thank Shawn and Bruce for your professional expertise during the recent passing of my dear friend Sylvia. Bruce came out to our home and made everything go stress free. Help with filling out forms was something taken off my plate that i an so appreciative for. There was never any pressure put on us only thoughtful, and caring words and direction. After Sylvia's cremation it was comforting to know that her ashes would be sent to England to be laid to rest with her parents. Again thank you Shawn and Bruce for looking after this for us. My husband and I have now completed our cremation plans making things a bit easier on our family during end of life journey and stress. We have and will continue to refer your services to others.

    Lynda