Articles

Reflections on Deathcare Superconference 2024 Peter Toppings, Executive Director, Memorial Society of BC I had the opportunity to attend the Deathcare Superconference in Seattle this past September. It was organized by a number of partners, including the Funeral Consumers Alliance, the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance, and the People’s Memorial Association, Washington’s equivalent to the Memorial…

Consumer protection in the funeral industry We are please to share this article by BC Consumer Protection about their mandate as it relates to the funeral sector. Consumer Protection BC is a not-for-profit regulator responsible for overseeing certain industries and specific consumer transactions in the province. For example, they licence and regulate travel agencies, payday…

In this article, we explore what happens when a death occurs at home under different circumstances. Unexpected Home Death When a death occurs suddenly and unexpectedly at home, the typical procedure is to call emergency services (9-1-1). Police and ambulance services will attend the scene. There is also the option to call BC Coroners Services…

We are grateful to Nicola Finch for her enlightening article on green burials. Photo credited to ‘Cathy Valentine, Salt Spring island Natural Cemetery’   It is not going to be everyone’s choice, nor should it be. What happens to our bodies once we’re dead is personal. Conventional burial and flame cremation have been the disposition…

We are pleased to profile Nidus with an article written by Audrey Jun, Nidus Executive Director. Nidus is a BC-based, non-profit charitable organization that provides education, support and assistance to British Columbians with personal planning for incapacity, end-of-life, and other support needs. Nidus enables seniors and other adults to plan for future incapacity, and also…

This article is reprinted with permission from the Cooperative Memorial Society in Alberta Selecting an Executor – Does it matter who you choose? By Yvonne Martin-Morrison Executor considerations may not be top of mind for most people when they are drafting their wills and estate plans. It is understandable when many are not aware of…

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…

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…

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…

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…