Making
Arrangements
Memorial Societies
Funeral Facilities
Making your own funeral arrangements
Preparing an obituary or letter of tribute
After a death has occurred, it is important that family and friends have
opportunities to come together to grieve. Funeral and memorial services
or other public gatherings are ways for this to happen. They also allow
the wider community to support family members and recognize the loss.
It doesn’t matter as much how or where people come together as the
fact that they do gather.
This is a time to:
| • | Say good-bye | |
| • | Pay tribute or respect, share memories | |
| • | Acknowledge people’s relationships with the person who died | |
| • | Express spiritual and religious beliefs about life and death | |
| • | Give and receive support by the sharing of sorrow | |
| • | Express feelings openly and as a group | |
| • | Acknowledge the reality of death for all people | |
| • | Find comfort in cultural and family traditions | |
| • | Re-connect with family and friends | |
Making Arrangements
It may be very difficult to think about planning a funeral or memorial service while dealing with a serious illness. There are definite advantages in being able to talk about and even make some plans ahead of time.
Pre-planning will save family members from the difficult situation of trying to make important decisions on short notice and while under considerable stress. Click here to download a helpful planning information form to keep on hand.
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For
more information about funeral and
memorial arrangement, visit these websites: |
When making decisions about the kind of service or ceremony of remembrance, it’s important to consider patient and family needs and wishes, religious and cultural beliefs, finances, and certain basic information and options. For example:
| • | At a funeral, the body is present in either an open or closed casket; at a memorial service, it is not. | |
| • | Either service can be religious or not; it can be held in a church, funeral facility, home or some other place of choice. | |
| • | The kind of service does not dictate whether burial or cremation is chosen, nor does the choice of burial or cremation determine the kind of service held. | |
| • | While most people prefer to make arrangements through a funeral facility, it’s also possible for families to carry out necessary plans themselves. | |
Memorial Societies:
There are a number of memorial societies in British Columbia. A memorial society is not a funeral home, but rather an organization formed to reduce funeral costs. Each society is associated with a particular funeral home.
Membership in a memorial society is through payment of a small fee, which allows members to register funeral or memorial arrangements with them in advance. (Many funeral homes also provide this service for no fee). The society will also have a contract with its designated funeral home that sets the costs for services. Prepaying may guarantee the cost, but it’s important to check on both services available and the fees. Without prepayment, the executor/executrix will be responsible for all expenses at current rates.
For more information, contact
Memorial Society of B.C. 1 888 816-5902 (served by Sequoia Gardens Memorial (250) 6586202)
Vancouver Island Memorial Society (served by Hayward's Funeral and Cremation Services (250) 386-3505
Funeral Facilities:
|
For
more information about funeral
facilities in British Columbia: • Funeral Services Association of British Columbia. • "Cemetery and Funeral Services: Making Informed Decisions" on the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General’s helpful website. • A Funeral In BC |
Making your own funeral arrangements:
Most people prefer to use funeral facilities, but it is possible to register a death, transport the body and complete burial or cremation arrangements without their assistance. To complete arrangements on your own, remember these important points:
| • | Arrange for burial or cremation at an approved location. In Victoria, contact the Registrar of Cemeteries (250) 387-1271 for a current list. | |
| • | A physician or nurse may pronounce the death, and that person also completes the Medical Certificate of Death. | |
| • | The Registration of Death form must be completed, either by staff in hospital or family at home. The ‘Funeral Facility’ section of the form should state that the next-of-kin are removing the body with the physician’s approval. The form is available from Vital Statistics. | |
| • | Take both the Medical Certificate of Death and the Registration of Death forms to Vital Statistics. Once the death is registered, a permit for burial or cremation is issued. There is no fee for this. Vital Statistics also issues copies of the Death Certificate. There is a charge for each one. | |
| • | If death has occurred in a hospital, return to Admitting with the permit for burial or cremation. Arrangements will be made for the body to be released. The family may take the body home temporarily or transfer it directly to the cemetery. If death has occurred at home, the body can also now be moved to the cemetery for burial. However, if cremation is planned, it is important to consider that, by provincial law, it cannot take place until 48 hours after death. | |
| • | Notify local police about your transportation plans. | |
| • | Discuss transportation procedures and requirements with cemetery or crematorium staff before moving the body. | |
| • | A permit from the Coroner’s Office is needed only if the body is going to be taken to a destination outside British Columbia. | |
Helpful Contact Information:
Social Development Canada: Canada Pension Plan, death benefits, survivor's pension, children's benefit, Old Age Security benefits 1 800 277-9914 or www.sdc.gc.ca/isp
Vital Statistics:
818 Fort Street
Victoria, BC
V8W 1H8
Telephone: (250) 952-2681
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. PST
http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/death
Coroner’s Office:
3960 Quadra Street
Victoria, BC
V8X 4A3
Telephone: (250) 952-4152
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. PST
Preparing
an obituary or letter of tribute
Obituary
An obituary notice goes into the newspaper to tell the community that
the death has occurred and to announce funeral or memorial service plans.
The obituary may also be sent to newspapers in other communities where the
person is known. Some families write the obituary themselves, while others
prefer to have the assistance of a funeral director. The notice will include
the name of the person who died, and the date and location of the death.
In addition, information about a service, flowers or donations are usually
included.
If you choose to designate Victoria Hospice as your charity of choice
in lieu of flowers, please include in the obituary this mailing address
for memorial donations:
Victoria Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation
Richmond Pavilion
1952 Bay Street
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8R 1J8
We will send a list of donors who make donations in memory of your family
member if you give us a contact name in your family. Please call our Foundation
office (250) 370-8716 ~ 8:30 am. – 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Monday to Friday, or e-mail
marnie.hill@viha.ca
Beyond the basic information, there is no prescribed obituary format to
follow. Information about the cause of death, the person's date of birth
and the names of surviving family members and special people are often included.
Some families like to include information related to the person's achievements
during their life, or their personal attributes. The cost of publishing
an obituary may be a consideration in deciding how much information to include.
Letter of Tribute
A Letter of Tribute is a printed letter sent out after a death to family,
friends, and acquaintances. It can contain a variety of information about
the person: his/her life, death, memorial/funeral service. Sometimes there
is a photograph included as well.
