What defines a cemetery?

• A. A park with trees.
• B. Land legally established as a cemetery or recognized as such by the registrar.
• C. A site for scattering ashes.
• D. A churchyard.

Answer: (B)

A cemetery is defined by its legal status, not just its appearance or use. In Ontario, land is considered a cemetery if it has been legally established as one or if the Registrar of Cemeteries recognizes it as such under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act. This official designation or recognition creates the regulatory framework for interment, maintenance, records, and consumer protections. Sites like parks, scattering-ashes locations, or generic churchyards aren’t automatically cemeteries unless they carry that formal legal status or are officially registered as such.