Can I buy cemetery transcriptions? How much would it cost?

Yes. The Ontario Genealogical Society has compiled and is selling cemetery transcriptions of most of Ontario's cemeteries. Prices vary depending upon the size of the cemetery but most branches have their publication lists available on their branch website.

Many OGS branches now offer their cemetery transcripts on CD-ROM, for smaller cemeteries you can purchase a CD for usually $20 or less and get several transcripts (sometimes an entire township!). Because this medium allows a considerable amount of information in a tiny package many previously unavailable transcripts (too large for print!) are now available for purchase on CD.

Also keep in mind that transcripts can be a lasting record for older headstones that have deteriorated. If you know an ancestor was buried in a cemetery but cannot locate the headstone consult the transcript to learn if a stone was present at the time of first transcription (for some OGS branches this would be the mid-1970’s).