Importance of Funerals

Families faced with a loss in these days of Covid19 recovery, wonder how they will plan funeral arrangements, cremations, memorials or a celebration of life. As British Columbia continues to open and funeral homes are allowed to resume funeral services, Can-Trust-Funerals serves with its signature compassion. Professional funeral directors guide families experiencing loss in the lower mainland of BC with special attention to their needs and to the new conditions of care. 

Can-Trust protects bereaved families, guests, pallbearers, staff and celebrants officiating at events. All are kept safe from transmission of any infection with additional protocols.

Funeral directors at Can-Trust comply with the strict guidelines set out by WorkSafe BC and Regional Health Authorities.

These modifications are some of the actions responsible funeral directors can make to lessen undue stress on grieving families and to ensure precautions are taken for safety:

 Attending to family 

• Maintaining familiar features of funeral services and expectations of guests attending funeral home events while observing social distancing
• Ensuring all surfaces are cleaned and sanitized prior to the arrival of family, guests, workers and volunteers. Hand sanitizers use is encouraged for individuals performing any rituals or graveside duties. 
• Encouraging individuals in attendance to wear a properly fitting mask especially those who are at higher risk (such as aged 65+ or with chronic Illness)

Funeral procedures, pallbearers 

Families get help navigating new procedures which include:

• Only members of the same households in any one vehicle and discouraging personal contact, unless members are living in the same residence 
• Placing receiving cards and other items for the family in a separate enclosure and minimizing contact for a period of 24 hours

• Not calling on pallbearers, at this time as it eliminates social distancing. If they are to be present, using facial masks and not combining funeral home staff and family or friends in performing the duty. 

Funeral processions, reception of guests

New observances as family and friends come together at a time of loss ensure that: 

• Funeral limousines should have a barrier separating staff and attendees
• All chauffeur vehicles for the family comply with safety guidelines including the driver of the hearse carrying the deceased.

Families can still welcome guests after a celebration of life, graveside ceremony, memorial or cremation with food and beverages. 

Refreshments should be in single service packages. This may be pre-packaged food prepared for guests in disposable containers, disposable beverage cups, cutlery, and napkins. This practice lowers the risk of spreading contagion.

Rely on the help Can-Trust’s funeral directors offer families to negotiate all regulations and changes due to Covid19’s presence in our community. We provide reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always.

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated.

Our Can-Trust team of licensed funeral directors, provides funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland.

Phone: 604-376-7975

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral

Visit us online for more information.

When a death happens, difficult decisions may follow and in a very short period of time. Whether the passing of a loved one is anticipated or happens in sudden circumstances, the compassionate support of a professional funeral director can help. As important is the reliable guidance of a reputable funeral home whose team members are compassionate yet also competent and licensed to perform the services that bring your loved one to their final state of rest. One of these critical behind the scenes services is the proper transfer of the deceased. 

Can-Trust-Funeral’s Richmond based funeral home services attends to the unseen details pertaining to the transport of the deceased. The team of professional funeral directors serving the Lower Mainland advises on these points of care in transport whether you are fulfilling your loved ones request for a funeral arrangement   burial, cremation, celebration of life or their wish to have their  remains laid to rest in another country.

The funeral director is responsible for the transfer of the deceased. These are some of the services you should be able to count on a reputable, reliable and licensed funeral home to handle for you with respect and integrity:

Transfer after death

The deceased is transferred, usually from the hospital, by either the funeral home’s own in-house transfer by a funeral director or licensed staff member, or a proven, decent transfer company.

Ensure first necessary documents are secured in the transport

The funeral director needs to get signed permission from the executor for the hospital to release the remains to the funeral home.

This form is normally signed at the initial arrangement meeting at the funeral home.  After this is signed, the funeral director calls the hospital or care home to see if the remains have been released by the doctor. They are then able to transfer the deceased into the care of the funeral home itself.

Other essential paperwork is often transferred at this time. Find a previous post regarding paperwork here.

Transport within the city to procedures

A licensed funeral home with professional funeral directors will oversee a family’s needs for preparation of body, cremation, venues for rituals, wakes or other arrangements discussed with the executor.

What if arrangements must be made to transport the body beyond the region or out of country?

Repatriation to or from other countries requires a lot of documentation. The documents are created in the communications between the funeral director and consulate of the country.

A properly licensed and trained funeral director can handle all the relevant documentations and meet all the regulations. This may include obtaining all permits for other jurisdictions, Transport Canada licenses to transfer the body and ensuring the vehicle, a leak proof container, and all protocols are satisfactorily met for regional or international transport.

We are here to help. Can-Trust-Funerals Ltd. provides reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always.

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated.

Can-Trust’s team of licensed funeral directors, provide funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland.

Phone: 604-376-7975

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral

Visit us online for more information.

The properly drawn and executed will your loved one leaves on passing is their final word on everything in their power. It guides your grieving family on how to distribute all they possess and instructs you on their choices regarding a funeral, cremation, memorial or celebration of life. For the professional funeral directors at Richmond based, Can-Trust Funerals Ltd., a will is critical to the service they provide in helping families in the Lower Mainland meet both their responsibilities to the deceased and to meet the legal requirements of British Columbia. 

This is what you need to know about why a will is one of the first documents a licenced funeral service provider will ask for when it is time to make funeral arrangements:

Duty to verify legal responsibility.

Your funeral director must verify who is legally responsible for the deceased and who is legally responsible to be making the arrangements. 

The will makes it clear who can act in accordance with the will to close the affairs and carry out final considerations for the deceased.

What documents must be requested

Not all the pages of the will must be disclosed. The funeral services provider is not interested in all the details of the distributions.

What they need to see are the pages stating executorship and signatures, as well as the executor’s ID. The funeral director with photo copy the necessary documents for their files and then proceed to the funeral arrangements.

What can be done in the absence of a will?

There is no substitution for a will with clear instructions. It can save a grieving family a great deal of turmoil, yet what if there is no will?

A professional funeral director can arrange the cremation, celebration of life, memorial or funeral the family wishes, even in the absence of a will.

Someone must step forward.

It can be family member – surviving spouse, child or an appointed executor that may or may not also be a relative. In BC the priority listing of the legal representative when no personal representative is named, is extensive and very specific.

Can-Trust-Funeral’s team of professional funeral directors follow the Funeral Services Act closely. The section of the act that recognizes who has the right to control the disposition of a loved ones’ remains is found here.

At Can-Trust-Funerals we have seen what happens when people put off writing a will because there is no urgency. Yet, life unfolds. There may be illness and death following or a sudden loss through an accident or extreme illness with little time to make final wishes known.

You may find these additional resources in BC’s legal Acts helpful to know or to plan ahead: 

1. 23 (5) of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act;
2. If the minister under the Employment and Assistance Act, or if the Public Guardian and Trustee is administering the estate of the deceased under the Wills, Estates and Succession Act, the Public Guardian and Trustee;

We are here to help. Can-Trust-Funerals Ltd. provides reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always.

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated.

Can-Trust’s team of licensed funeral directors, provide funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland.

Phone: 604-376-7975

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral

Visit us online for more information.

Discussing costs with a funeral home is a critical part of funeral arrangements whether at time of immediate need or as advance planning for a cemetery burial, memorial or cremation. The funeral directors at Richmond-based, Can-Trust-Funerals offer tips to help you navigate the many options and ahead of you if you are looking at funeral services in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland including Surrey, Burnaby, New Westminster and Coquitlam. 

Ideally, you will be in a position to have a calm conversation when you review the myriad details and choices with a duly licensed and reputable funeral director. Yet, even if you feel an urgency with no time to research and compare or are too grief-filled – a good funeral director should be able to guide you with compassion and create clarity for you.  

Here are some tips that may add calm and assurance to this process:  

1.First ask yourself this question  

Are you the right person to be making arrangements? Are you the one authorized to officially sign required documents after the decisions are made?  

If you are that family member, bring ID as your identification has to be verified as correct. Otherwise, it is illegal and fraudulent to proceed with arrangements.   

2.Start with the price list as it offers a structure to discuss all categories of choices 

• Price lists must be provided to any consumer whether in person, on the website, by email request or in printed materials. They should be visible in the lobby and each arrangement room where funeral goods and service options are discussed.  
• That is a licensing requirement for funeral homes and funeral services stipulated by the British Columbia Consumer Protection Act.  

That price list gives you information about costs. It must show a range of samples from the highest priced options to the most economical ones. 

A transparent fee structure is a best practice. A funeral director must also inform consumers that they have the right to choose the funeral goods and services they want and that they will not refuse or charge a fee to handle a casket bought elsewhere. If cremation is chosen, then a selection of containers should be offered.  

Here is where you think about what you want. Is it cremation? Burial service? Memorial? Church, temple, funeral home?   

Can-Trust-Funerals provides different service options that families require rather than go item by item to reduce becoming overwhelmed. Each service option naturally groups the basics of what you need for burial, receptions, funeral goods and funeral services. There is no real advantage to packaged costs over individual items, but it helps you envision what you need or might want without going one by one. 

At a time of emotional and physical fatigue, grief or shock they can help tame becoming overwhelmed. A compassionate funeral director may even suggest you return another time, and take needed rest in the meantime.  

3.Your funeral director should offer an itemized summary with all expenses discussed  

• After the arrangement meeting – where the funeral director has explained each fee, purpose of the product or service discussed, a summary should follow. Naturally, in these matters, bargains are not always best. A conscientious, experienced funeral director will consider your budget, your wishes and your needs to create a custom solution with you.   

• Since costs are more easily controlled when there is more time and less stress, you might like to consider a preplanned and prepaid funeral.  

The intimacy and trust that exists between a client and funeral director is strong and sincere. A licensed funeral director is empowered to help you with all elements of funeral arrangements from people to paperwork. The goals and results can be far different when the ‘arrangers’ you are speaking with are actually a mortuary services sales team.  

Always opt for an accredited, licensed and experienced funeral director with whom to build rapport.  

You will feel this especially as you and the funeral director complete together – confidential details of the vital statistics of the loved one who passed. These must be recorded and becomes part of the critical administrative details that must be recorded and correctly filed.  Read more on our previous blog: Pitfalls of paperwork.

Can-Trust-Funerals Ltd. provides reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always. 

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated. 

Can-Trust’s team of licensed funeral directors, provide funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland. 

Phone: 604-376-7975 

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com 

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral 

Visit us online for more information. 

The paper work that surrounds the passing of a loved one from death well into times of closure, can be daunting for the bereaved. Richmond-based Can-Trust-Funerals Ltd. serves the funeral home needs of families in the Vancouver area including Surrey, Burnaby, New Westminster and Coquitlam, as experienced death care professionals. They are also empowered as licensed professional funeral directors to handle the very detailed paperwork that descends on grieving families.  

Today’s post shares insights into the documentation associated with the death of a person and how a properly licensed funeral director in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland can help families avoid critical mistakes. Errors can occur while trying to fulfill all the regulations and comply with forms and fine print. This adds stress and robs individuals of time they need most to be present with their families and feelings.  

A funeral director can help you navigate or completely handle the paperwork for key administrative stages surrounding the death of your loved one at: 

1. Time of death 
2. Time of preparation for funeral services, cremation, memorial service in the Vancouver area  
3. Time of closure – a critical period almost exclusively dealing with the closure or all records of the deceased’s financial, government and community life in the days after the remains are rested and the attendant rituals are observed.   

Documents and details at time of death 

Funeral directors are responsible for and empowered to collect the Medical Certificate of Death (MCD) signed by the doctor who states the official time and cause of death. This is the only way the hospital will release the body and the doctor has up to 48 hours to complete it.  

The funeral director can then proceed to create the Death Certificate which results in creating Disposition Permits that manage the final resting place of the remains. That includes niches for cremated remains or burial plots and enabling the official registration of the death with the government.  

Each death certificate has multiple parts that must be signed in print or electronically, filed, sent to the cemetery or crematorium and kept in perpetuity. There is also the possibility of having the documents accompany a body that must be transported to another jurisdiction in Canada or internationally.  (View BC’s regulations here)     

Each document bears serial numbers and is distributed to or stored at specific channels in accordance with laws and regulations for the process or the location.  

Documents that pertain to funeral services, cremations and memorial services preparations 

A funeral director communicates on your behalf with the appropriate clergy who will officiate at the funeral service and provides a clergy record for religious funerals 

Correspondence is also conducted with cemetery workers, administrators, and suppliers of services that the funeral director coordinates for you.  

This service alone covers a wide range: The permits and death certificates that must be copied and shared; supporting family as they go to the cemetery to pick a plot; communication to convey baskets, cremation containers, flowers and or course the arrangements at venues for family and guest gatherings.  

Closure of the many aspects of a living person’s presence    

Since even after passing, a person’s identity and presence endures throughout society, accurate follow up is needed to close off accounts, credit cards, and social insurance numbers and to give official notifications to government pensions, driver’s licenses and other situations where identity and activity is registered.  

This process alone can take many months or years. It can be shortened significantly through the close and trusted relationship established between the funeral director and family member or executor assigned to wrap up the recently departed’s affairs.   

Imagine, a singled word covers all the fine details and the meticulous attention – administration. Another important point on your checklist to explore with a funeral director.  

Can-Trust-Funerals Ltd. provides reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always. 

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated. 

Can-Trust’s team of licensed funeral directors, provide funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland. 

Phone: 604-376-7975 

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com 

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral 

Visit us online for more information. 

A personal on-site visit should follow your short list gotten from your early search by phone and through referrals of trusted persons for a funeral home and funeral services to meet your needs in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. It is useful and reassuring to physically visit a funeral home. Your personal inspection reveals whether the funeral director and staff practice the philosophy and community commitment they have promised in their printed or online posts and the information they shared with you on the phone.  

You may already have a sense about the quality of the funeral director. Your next step is to understand and to see the full picture – in person.  

Can-Trust-Funeral’s Richmond-based team of funeral directors speak from personal experience when they offer these tips on what to look for in a personal inspection:  

Are there proofs of the funeral home’s accreditation? 

Photos should be easily visible of the staff so you can recognize the funeral director you may be meeting with as well as other funeral service staff. 

Credentials such as licenses to operate a funeral home and the licenses of the funeral directors as proof of their graduation from accredited courses and licenses to offer funeral services should be visible.  

Price lists should be easily available for viewing and review.  (Please subscribe and receive upcoming detailed blogs on why all these are important to you)            

Is the space flexible so that the venue can meet your needs? 

As you consider the elements you want to be a part of the funeral service you are planning, you should choose a funeral home that meets those desires.  

The funeral director and their staff, will meet with you to discuss what is important to you, and they should have experience and ideas on how to create the funeral service or memorial or celebration of life you envision.  

Is it clean and well-kept?   

A point so obvious that it is expected, yet on your tour of a funeral home your overall personal impression if the requirements of what is clean and orderly counts! What you see automatically filters into what you sense about how things are run at the funeral home and how you feel about your contact with the funeral director and their staff.  

Can-Trust-Funerals Ltd. provides reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always. 

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated. 

Can-Trust’s team of licensed funeral directors, provide funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland. 

Phone: 604-376-7975 

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com 

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral 

Visit us online for more information. 

How do you select a funeral home you can rely on when arranging funeral services at one of life’s most difficult times–the death of a loved one?  There are many legal requirements and practical details that may be emotionally charged and being able to count on the services of death care professional and a funeral home may offer great comfort. 

Finding a funeral home that works best for you is important if you are planning in advance or in immediate need of arranging a funeral, memorial service or cremation. 

Richmond-based Can-Trust-Funerals has these tips of what to look for in your search: 

Do they have a good reputation? 

Your closest source of experience is the home that has served the family in the past, or a recommendation from a colleague or friend you trust. You may also read reviews online of funeral homes in Richmond, Delta, West Minister, Burnaby, and Surrey or funeral services in Vancouver or Coquitlam.  

Families exploring funeral homes have another exceptional resource protecting their rights and offering information on licensed funeral services at Consumer Protection BC.  

Can they offer a personalized funeral service? 

The funeral home should express a commitment to create a unique and meaningful experience for you. One that will reflect the values or personality of your loved one and the life they lived. 

Communication is key.  Do you feel confident based on the impression you get from the funeral director and the staff they coordinate that they are listening to the details that are important to you? Do you feel you can count on a complete service of care where your wishes and needs are met?  

Can they handle your religious or cultural needs? 

Confidence in funeral services and being heard by the funeral director extends to religious or cultural concerns when arranging a funeral. The diverse population in BC’s Lower Mainland means that a variety of culture and religious traditions exist in our communities. 

Funeral homes must be open and able to meet diverse needs, and you have a right to seek funeral services to reflect and honour the origins of your family and your loved one’s beliefs. Your funeral director ensures that the funeral service you arrange or the memorial service or celebration of life you plan reflect your core values.   

These has been consolidation in the funeral home industry of late, so funeral homes in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland may appear to be locally owned, but are owned by a national corporation. So, if a funeral director offering funeral services from a locally owned funeral home is important to you, do ask. 

You may find the posts on first contacts at a funeral home or first questions useful. Many find it less stressful to phone funeral homes to ask about their questions. Our next post has tips on how a personal on-site visit to a funeral home and discussion of their services is to your advantage. 

Can-Trust-Funeral’s provides reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always. 

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated. 

Can-Trust’s team of licensed funeral directors, provide funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland. 

Phone: 604-376-7975 

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com 

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral 

Visit us online for more information. 

Do the words ‘funeral home’ or ‘funeral services’ bring images of gates to a final resting place or a charming building nestled in greenery where we gather with family and friends. The reality of those words are funeral directors who are trained and experienced in answering first questions on the minds of people who may call in immediate need after a loss or as they pre-plan and explore options.

Based in Richmond, locally owned and operated Can-Trust funerals has been responding to those first questions about funeral home services for Vancouver, Burnaby, or funeral services in New Westminster, memorials in Surrey and celebrations of life in Coquitlam, Delta and Richmond.

Here are some essentials you can ask a Funeral Director:  

What happens when I call a Funeral Director?  

• A Funeral Director answers any questions you have. They arrange for your loved one to be brought to the funeral home and for the final disposition of the human remains.
• On the first call, you will be advised about the information that you must collect to fulfill the paperwork associated with any death and to bring into a first meeting.

How do I handle all the paperwork I’ve just been told about?

• Handling the documentation is a very important part of a Funeral Director’s work on your behalf. When you engage a fully licensed and experienced funeral director it means they are qualified to correctly handle the paperwork for transfers from the hospital or home, get the doctor’s medical certificates, create official death certificates and secure cremation or burial permits.

Who can help coordinate all the services I will need?

• A funeral director is not only empowered to look after your medical and legal documents, but should also present options on the people and products that best serve your needs. Together, you discuss your preferences and understand the costs and options on all matters such as cemetery sales, location for services and who will help with  needed catering, flowers, audio-visual needs and of course communicating with clergy who will officiate at the funeral or memorial service.
• Preparation of custom memorial products, Vancouver cemetery sales or crematorium arrangements and transport services including flights arranged to repatriate a loved one who has passed far from home can also be part of the discussion.

About qualifications and credentials – Do not be embarrassed to ask for credentials. A funeral director must have their license with photo in full view. In our next post we will discuss the importance of training and professional standing and why it is critical to you and funeral service and arrangements in Vancouver and the lower mainland. 

You are invited to ask your questions and to contact Can-Trust Funeral Ltd.’s funeral director in a complimentary consultation with no obligation at 604 376-7975. They are part of your community and provide reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always.

Phone: 604-376-7975

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral

Visit online for more information.

We all need good people to count on when it is time to plan a funeral or memorial service especially on that first call for help after a loved one has passed. It might be in the crushing moments after a death where we need the comfort from a death care professional and their competent and quick response to the many details that must suddenly be decided. We can feel overwhelmed whether facing an immediate need for funeral services or when we plan funeral arrangements for an anticipated death after prolonged illness. It even happens if we choose to explore pre-planning a funeral, cremation or memorial service well in advance of need.

According to Can-Trust Funerals, a locally owned and operated funeral home based in Richmond the top questions on the minds of families facing a loss is:

What do I do now? Who can I call for help?

This is what they recommend:

A licensed funeral director should be your first contact

• Your “first call” after a death has taken place is often from a hospitals or care home. You need support and confidence in taking next steps and your call should be answered by a funeral director.
• Being local in our community, a Can-Trust a funeral director takes your call directly or responds personally soon after your very first attempt. Your experience with funeral service providers whose calls, especially off business hours, are handled by an answering service before they are routed to the on-duty funeral director may leave you having to repeat all the traumatic details to yet another person.  

The process ahead

• When a licensed funeral service professional is your first contact, you have a guide to take you through the process required by law. That means they will personally advise you on the documents you need to gather and the choices you can make within the laws of British Columbia to carry out the funeral, cremation or memorial arrangements.

People standing by to serve your needs

• Funeral directors are also licensed to call on and coordinate the other people in place to serve you. This includes arranging for the services of clergy and supervising the embalmers, assistants, limo drivers, catering staff, florists and audio-visual specialists, if needed,

It is critical for a call from a grieving family to be answered immediately. Can-Trust Funerals is dedicated to answering that call and in serving Vancouver funeral service needs and funeral home needs in Burnaby, Surrey, and Coquitlam and include memorial services in these cities as well as in Delta and New Westminster.

Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation.

You are never obligated.

Can-Trust-Funeral’s provides reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always.

Can-Trust’s team of licensed funeral directors, provide funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond and in Vancouver as well as throughout the Lower Mainland.

Phone: 604-376-7975

E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com

WeChat: Cantrustfuneral

Visit us online for more information.