ARTICLES
Range of articles related to death and dying topics
AI and Your Will: What Everyone Should Know Before You Click “Generate” By Manny Sham, Trust and Estate Consultant, Everest Advisory. Prepared for the Memorial Society of BC More people are turning to AI tools to draft a Will, and it's easy to understand why. They're fast, inexpensive, and available any time of day. But when it comes to one of the most important documents you will ever sign, convenience can come at a...
Home Funerals – Some Things to Consider A home funeral is a family - and community-centered approach to deathcare where the deceased's body is kept at home for a period after death, allowing for private, personalized care and rituals before final disposition. This practice offers a way to slow the grieving process, provide a more intimate farewell, and extend the relationship with the deceased outside the confines of a traditional funeral home. It may involve...
Home Funerals – Some Things to Consider
Home Funerals – Some Things to Consider A home funeral is a family – and community-centered approach to deathcare where the deceased’s body is kept at home for a period after death, allowing for private, personalized care and rituals before final disposition. This practice offers a way to slow the grieving process, provide a more…
Read More A Conversation About MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying)
Photo Credit: Peter Busby A Conversation About MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) With Karen Gelmon, MD FRCPC, Medical Oncologist (Retired from Oncology Practice), Professor of Medicine (UBC) and MAID Provider/Assessor (Vancouver Coastal Health) and Memorial Society BC Board Member, Verena Foxx. VF: What are MAID practitioners called, and which health professionals can fill this role?…
Read More Natural Organic Reduction (aka human composting)
Thank you to NORBC for this article on natural organic reduction A lot of people will tell you that they’d love for their body to “return to the earth” after death. It’s a beautiful sentiment that evokes the idea of life coming full circle, with a final act that ensures that our corporeal…
Read More Medical Assistance in Dying in B.C.
Thank you to Alex Muir, Chair, Metro Vancouver Chapter, Dying With Dignity Canada for his illuminating presentation on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) at our Annual General Meeting, 2025. Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) has been legal in Canada since June 2016. It is legislated under federal law as an exemption to the Criminal Code. However, because it falls…
Read More Visiting the Crematorium: A Glimpse Behind the Scenes
Tucked quietly behind trees and businesses, the tan wood-frame building has housed Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services since 1994. Included within that organization is Society’s First Alternative Services, which provides services exclusively for Memorial Society members. Upon arrival, our 3 person Memorial Society team was welcomed inside by apprentice funeral director Jesus Hernandez, whose warm…
Read More Options for Appointing an Executor
The Memorial Society receives inquiries from members about what to do when there is no one suitable in their life to appoint as the executor of their will. Here is a brief overview. When a person dies and leaves a valid will, it is the responsibility of the executor named in the will to administer…
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