We are delighted to kick off our series on diverse cultural beliefs and practices on death and dying with an article by Rabbi Susan Shamash. It is hoped this series of articles will help build understanding and inclusion of the many faith and cultural communities in BC. Jewish End of Life Practices - by Rabbi Susan Shamash There are a wealth of practices in Jewish traditions for end of life. This is a brief summary of the major ones. For further information, visit https://kavodvnichum.org/. When death is imminent, it is traditional to recite a confession (Vidui) either by or for the person...

Body & Organ Donation – is this for you? On your Arrangement Form with the Memorial Society, you may have noticed that there are check boxes for the donation of ‘ORGAN(s)’ and ‘BODY.’ Here is some information on these two options - to help you to make an informed decision about whether this is something you would like to consider. Body Donation The Body Donation Program (BDP) in BC is managed by the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. Since 1950, BDP provides real life training to the next generation of doctors, dentists, and health care professionals. Each year...

What You Need to Know about Death Certificates At the Memorial Society, we often receive questions from members about the funeral sector. Who better to answer these questions than one of our funeral provider partners. In this article, we asked Ryan Crean of Kearney Funeral Services about death certificates.   What are Death Certificates and how do I obtain them? There are two types of “Death Certificates” issued when someone passes away. The first is a Medical Certificate of Death (MCOD). This document is an internal document completed and issued by the physician upon death explaining cause of death. Outside...

This past September my family gathered on the coast of Maine to scatter the ashes of my parents. It sounds straightforward, but you could say that this event was over fifty years in the making. I grew up in the Montreal area.  Like many Quebeckers, we went to Maine every summer for our vacations. My parents had vacationed there individually before they married in 1952 and it seemed inevitable that we would take our family holidays there. We first went when I was three and it is in fact one of my earliest memories.  My parents would bundle all six...

Featured Article: The Role of a Death Doula within End-of-Life-Care by Karen Hendrickson A death doula is a companion, advocate, and educator for an individual and their loved ones, supporting them through the journey and process of terminal illness and death. This support is holistic and compassionate and assists everyone to navigate both the practicalities and emotions of illness and dying. Death doulas do not provide legal advice or medical care, advice, or treatment. As companions, death doulas spend time with the individual and loved ones, helping them to navigate their feelings and emotions, identifying what matters most to them now....