Common Questions

Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family and friends with an atmosphere of care and support in which to share thoughts and feelings about death, funerals are the first step in the healing process. It is the traditional way to recognize the finality of death. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living to show their respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the grieving process.

You can have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. Planning a personalized ceremony or service will help begin the healing process. Overcoming the pain is never easy, but a meaningful funeral or tribute will help.

A Funeral Director is a licensed professional who specializes in all aspects of funerals and related services. They provide support to the family, guide the arrangements of visitations and funeral ceremonies, prepare the body according to the f family's wishes, and ensure that everything goes according to plan. They also arrange for the removal and transportation of the body throughout the process and assist families with any legal or insurance -related paperwork they might need to file. They're experienced at recognizing when an individual is having an extremely difficult time coping with a loss and can provide extra support and recommendations for professional help if needed.

You will need to have the following information about the deceased:
* Full legal name
* Date of birth
* Place of birth
* Social Insurance Number
* Complete street address, including postal code
* Occupation
* Marital status
* Spouse's legal name (maiden)
* Father's name
* Father's place of birth
* Mother's name (maiden)
* Mother's place of birth
* Is there a Will?
* Name, address & phone number of Executor

If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good-bye, that’s perfectly acceptable. Your funeral director will come when your time is right.

Family members may wish to view the body in a private or public visitation. Viewing the deceased can provide reality, a healthy step toward the resolution of grief. It can be helpful in accepting the fact that death has occurred, especially for the immediate family. Each person has a different point of view and must make the choice for themselves. Leaving the option of visitation open to an individual's own emotional needs is in many cases the most favorable response to viewing the deceased. 

Embalming is a surgical procedure used to disinfect, preserve and restore the human body. The foremost reason for embalming is to protect the public health. Contrary to the old belief that the "germ dies with the host", human remains begin to decompose almost immediately, offering an ideal environment for microbial growth. 

Embalming is not mandatory in the province of BC, but may be recommended in some instances (i.e. public view, transportation by air).

A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with extensive facilities and equipment (viewing rooms, chapels, hearses, removal vehicles, tables, stretchers, refrigeration facilities, embalming tools & equipment, etc.), and these expenses are factored into the cost of a funeral. A body is moved a minimum of 8 times (without dressing/casketing/viewing/service/etc.) and in the majority of cases, requires 2 people. There are many individual hours put into even a simple service that people don't see.

Funeral costs may include merchandise such as caskets or urns, but it also includes the services of funeral directors and their staff in making arrangements; filing appropriate forms; dealing with doctors, ministers, florists, newspapers and others; and seeing to all the necessary details. 

It really depends entirely on how you wish to commemorate a life. One of the advantages of cremation is that it provides you with increased flexibility when you make your funeral and cemetery arrangements. You might, for example, choose to have a funeral service before the cremation; a memorial service at the time of cremation or after the cremation with the urn present; or a committal service at the final disposition of cremated remains. Funeral or memorial services can be held in a place of worship, a funeral home, or in a place of your choosing.

With cremation, your options are numerous. The cremains can be interred in a cemetery plot, retained by a family member (usually in an urn), or scattered at a place that was significant to the deceased. 

Today, there are many different types of memorial options from which to choose. Memorialization is a time-honored tradition that has been practiced for centuries. A memorial serves as a tribute to a life lived and provides a focal point for remembrance, as well as a record for future generations. The type of memorial you choose is a personal decision.

There are no provincial regulations that prohibit scattering of cremated remains by land, sea or air, though some municipal bylaws may prohibit. Scattering is a decision that needs to be carefully considered. Cremated remains should never be scattered on private property without permission. Although the act of scattering may have idyllic appeal to some, it is an irreversible decision.

An autopsy is the medical examination of the body following death. The Coroner can order an autopsy to investigate the death to determine the cause of death and/or the manner of death; to continue the clinical study of the case; to investigate problems of physical, chemical, bacteriological, pathological and  anatomical conditions. The Coroner has the authority to order an autopsy without consent of next of kin. Attending physicians or family members may also request an autopsy, however an autopsy is not necessarily required.

The purpose of a Will is to outline your wishes. Everyone should have a Will, but almost half of Canadians don't have one. Many people avoid making a Will because it makes them feel uncomfortable to think about the prospect of death, or they recoil from making decisions about beneficiaries. However, if you die without a valid Will, your estate will be administered and your property distributed under the appropriate provincial legislation. You will have no say in how you would like your assets dealt with. 

Having a valid Will enables you to minimize taxes and probate fees payable out of your estate. It makes it easier and often less expensive to administer your estate, reducing stress on family members. 

Your Will should be changed/updated:

* If financial circumstances or the nature of your assets change significantly

* You move to another country, marry, separate or divorce

* Assets are acquired outside of Canada

* An Executor named in the Will dies or is no longer able to carry out their duties

* Circumstances of beneficiaries change

* Legislative changes occur that will affect your estate 

Cremation of multiple bodies is illegal in Canada and many other countries, so the cremation chamber is not designed to hold more than one body at a time. In addition, cremation is a regulated process with strict procedures we follow to ensure we're holding our services to the highest standard possible. All necessary paperwork is completed, and then a checklist is also completed at the crematory. A metal disk with a unique ID number accompanies the remains from the time we receive the body throughout the cremation process, and after cremation occurs we attach the metal disk to the bag containing the remains.