After being together for more than 23 years, Pascale Wattiez-Jeffryes keeps her late husband James close.

In fact, he’s resting on her right hand in the form of a diamond.

The Orillia woman opted for a less-traditional style of honouring a loved one after death and there are many options available for those who want to be different.

James Jeffryes died in June 2015 after 10 years of battling prostate cancer.

“He used to race power boats and he drove a Pontiac Trans Am,” Wattiez-Jeffryes said while looking over an old photo of James. “I miss his arm around me to calm me down. He was a strong man.”

The couple lived in England in 2005 when James was rushed to hospital after a cancer diagnosis.

“We didn’t know whether he would survive. He was paralyzed,” she said.

James eventually wiggled his toe and that was enough to inspire him to walk again.

But the cancer never really left and after a few good years, James’ health began to suffer again.

“I told him, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll change your ashes to a diamond,’” Wattiez-Jeffryes said. “He was pleased with that. When he thought about dying, he remembered he won’t be gone, he will be on my finger.”

Some of his ashes were sprinkled on a rose bush in the cemetery where his parents are buried in England.

Other remains were sent to Switzerland’s LifeGem diamond business after Wattiez-Jeffryes immigrated to Orillia.

She paid $9,000 to create the rough diamond, choosing not to colour it and just have James’ natural, grey-blue colour remain.

“That’s his colour,” she added, looking at her ring.

Wattiez-Jeffryes then paid $4,000 to have the ring made, complete with four small sapphires which represent her children.

“I wanted a family ring. It takes a brave and foolish man to take on four stepchildren.”

She is pleased with the results and said it now gives her comfort to know he is close.

Parry Sound area resident Hazel Pavlinic knows her late husband George is resting exactly where he wanted to be, along their Miller Lake.

George died in June 2016 and it was funeral director Steve Torrance who suggested various options after cremation, including fireworks.

Living on the lake for more than 30 years, Pavlinic said George wanted his ashes to go in the lake, but she wasn’t sure if it was legal or not.

“Fireworks would go across the lake and my son thought it was terrific. We decided to do that,” Pavlinic said.

The family gathered with close neighbours on the nearby beach on a hot July night last year and had a large fireworks display.

“It lit up the whole sky and at the end of it, there was a heart,” Pavlinic said. “It was beautiful to see. It was like New Year’s with all of these explosions.”

The grandkids also went swimming during the gathering.

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“Papa would’ve liked that,” she said.

These are just some of the more modern options after cremation.

Other options include being planted as a tree in a living memorial, launched into space, added to a coral reef, turned into candlesticks or handblown glass item, added to an hourglass or in a shotgun shell.

Ensuring expectations are met is the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO), which regulates funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries.

BAO registrar Carey Smith said it’s his job to enforce the Funeral, Burial and Cremations Services Act, which came into effect in 2012.

“You are allowed to scatter anywhere on Crown land, unless it’s specifically prohibited,” Smith said.

It also means a lake on Crown land.

“You can put your ashes anywhere. I suggest to people if you want your loved one kept close, to get a rock that’s been bored out and put the ashes in there. If you move from one place to another, you can move the rock.”

Smith doesn’t advise people to bury ashes in their backyards.

“When you bury ashes on your property or cottage, you’re now making a cemetery and that’s illegal,” he said. “Secondly, the problem is once you pass and your property is left to be liquidated as an estate, what are you going to do with those ashes?”

Ashes can be buried in a licensed scattering ground or cemetery, he added.

There’s also the option to scatter ashes on private property.

“You can do it with consent of the owner,” Smith said.

However, if you decide to secretly scatter ashes on private property, there’s not much the BAO can do about it, Smith said.

“Essentially, if you’re on private property and scattering without the permission of the owner, you’re trespassing and it is an offence under the act.”

But Smith said he has never laid any fines as a result of that. For more information about the BAO, visit thebao.ca.