"After the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual number of unclaimed bodies in Ontario surged in 2020 to a then record high of 691 and that sombre statistic has only continued to climb each following year. Last year, 1,710 bodies went unclaimed in the province more than triple the number recorded in 2019. The populous Toronto region went from having 286 cases in 2019 to 1,138 last year, accounting for two-thirds of all provincial cases."
"It wasn't always like this. Though the numbers have been trending upward since 2008, the period between 2019 and 2025 betrays an unmistakable escalation. "The first thought is obviously there's some socio-economic issues involved," said Craig Boals, general manager of Cataraqui Cemetery and Funeral Services in Kingston. Last year, Boals and his colleagues handled 14 unclaimed bodies in the Kingston region, which includes nearby communities such as Brockville."
"But every region of Ontario has experienced an increase in unclaimed bodies since 2019. The Sudbury region had no cases in 2019 and recorded 42 last year, while the Ottawa region topped 100 cases for the second year in a row in 2025. The "huge" overall increase is "disturbing and troubling," said Nathan Romagnoli, the founder and funeral director of eco Cremation & Burial Services, which serves the Greater Golden Horse"
Unclaimed bodies recovered in Ontario climbed from 438 in 2019 to 1,710 in 2025, with a marked surge beginning in 2020 after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Toronto region accounted for roughly two-thirds of provincial cases, rising from 286 in 2019 to 1,138 in 2025. Every region recorded increases, including Sudbury (0 to 42) and Ottawa (over 100 for the second consecutive year). Cataraqui Cemetery and Funeral Services handled 14 unclaimed bodies in the Kingston region, which recorded 58 cases in 2025. Observers link the rise to socioeconomic issues and a possible uptick in unhoused people.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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