Memorial Society

of

Windsor and District

Funeral Planning Alternatives

 

The society is a non-denominational, non-profit organization, dedicated to encouraging its members to make their own final arrangements while they are able to make intelligent decisions. This relieves one's family of having to make these arrangements at a time of great emotional stress. The key to making these decisions is knowing what options are available and legal.

The society also promotes low cost, dignified final arrangements but does NOT sell Funerals, Caskets, Cemetery Plots, Urns, or Monuments.

 

For a one-time fee of $10.00, members receive the following:

For additional information please contact
Stan McDowall at (519)969-6767
Ron Ewing at (519)945-1901

or write to

P.O. Box 481

Windsor, Ont.

N9A 6M6

or email The Memorial Society

 

Other Related Sites and Contacts

 

Funeral Advisory and Memorial Society (Toronto)

Funeral & Memorial Societies of America

 

Final Arrangements Form

This is a three-part form* on which one records the desired details of one's funeral, for example:

·  burial .vs. cremation.

·  charitable donations in lieu of flowers.

·  visitations or not.

·  open .vs. closed caskets.

·  statistical data for death certificate etc.

·  details of service, if any.

This information should not be in your will which is ususally not read until after the funeral.

*one each for self, executor, and funeral director.


The Living Will

If you are concerned about being kept alive, although unaware of your surroundings, this document requests that no extreme measures be used to maintain life.

Vital Information Record

A convenient form for recording your fiancial and other records and where papers are kept.

 

What to Do When Death Occurs

Dos and don'ts for the survivors so that important items are not overlooked.



Since the 1956 founding of the first Memorial Society in Ontario, over 50,000 people have chosen to pre-plan simple and dignified funerals at less than half the average cost paid by others. Today, eleven Memorial Societies in this province represent a large proportion of the half million Canadians who have joined the memorial society movement across Canada, making it the largest consumer group in the country. Why? Because many aspects of conventional funeral practice are being examined, questioned and re-evaluated by the public. Memorial Society education programs have helped bring about a change in attitude toward death and funerals. People today are more willing to learn about and discuss the rites accompanying death. Many of the superficial and materialistic trappings are being discarded in favour of respectful simplicity. More and more, both as a matter of principle and for economic reasons, people are choosing to honour the life that was lived with appropriate memorial services and endowments. There are many ways in which people can show their love and respect for the dead. Some people choose a funeral service with the body present; others prefer a memorial service after burial or cremation. A memorial service tends to centre on and celebrate the more enduring values of the deceased rather than emphasize the physical remains. Whether one chooses a conventional funeral or the simple, inexpensive one advocated by Memorial Societies, planning ahead is a realistic way of sparing survivors from making difficult decisions at a time of great stress. Many thousands of people pre-plan their funerals while they are in good health. Pre-planning your funeral means you choose the services that you feel are suitable. A Memorial Society can assist you in making pre-planning simple, and can provide complete information regarding funerals to its members. The questions and answers that follow may clarify some of your concerns about funerals and Memorial Societies.

WHAT IS A MEMORIAL SOCIETY?

A Memorial Society is a non-sectarian, non-profit consumer group dedicated to simplicity, dignity and economy in funeral rites. Members generally believe that memorials that serve the living honour the dead better than costly funerals.

WHAT DO MEMORIAL SOCIETIES DO?

Memorial Societies serve the consumer by comparing funeral costs, furnishing related information and arranging with funeral homes to provide simple, economical services to their members. Members may pre-plan their funerals with a participating funeral home, funeral cooperative, transfer service, or may choose to do it themselves, selecting whatever options they desire. Memorial Societies provide consumer information related to the funeral industry and monitor changes in legislation, regulation and practice.IS THERE A CHARGE FOR MEMBERSHIP? Memorial Societies cost very little to join, with many offering life-time memberships. Others charge modest annual dues. Some societies have an additional small fee for records charges payable by the estate after the death of the member. Memorial Societies are established in most urban centres of Ontario and membership is transferable.

HOW DOES ONE PURCHASE A FUNERAL?

The person arranging the funeral selects the materials and services desired from an itemized price list provided by the funeral establishment. The transaction is confirmed by the signing of a contract in which the items purchased are listed along with the cost of each. All licensed funeral establishments are legally obliged to have itemized price lists freely available on their premises; a person contemplating the purchase of a funeral, either at or before the time of need, may visit any funeral home to obtain a copy. Prices vary significantly, as the purchase of a funeral is a business transaction in a competitive market. Comparison shopping and a certain measure of business acumen are required. If you wish to pre-plan a simple funeral, contact a local Memorial Society for more information.

HOW MUCH DO FUNERALS COST?

It depends on what services are purchased and the funeral establishment selected. The average cost of a funeral in Ontario in 2000 was $5361, not including crematorium or cemetery charges, obituaries, clergy, etc.

HOW IS A FUNERAL PRE-PLANNED?

A pre-arrangement form is completed and filed with a licensed funeral operator. Ontario memorial societies generally offer their members the choice of two funerals, either of which can be altered to suit individual preferences. One consists of immediate burial or cremation; a memorial service without the body present may be held later. The other is a conventional, yet simple and dignified funeral, usually with a closed casket and no embalming. The cost of a pre-planned funeral is paid at the time of death by the estate. The quoted price is likely to increase periodically because of inflation and other market factors.

CAN I PRE-PAY A FUNERAL?

Yes. In Ontario you can pre-pay the costs at present-day prices. The money is held in trust, earning interest. Any money left over after the funeral is returned to the estate.

WHEN A FUNERAL IS PRE-PAID, HOW ARE THE DETAILS AND MONEY HANDLED?

In Ontario, under the Funeral Directors and Establishments Act, 1989, a licensed operator and client sign a contract. A pre-paid contract can be cancelled at any time, but after thirty days a service charge (10% of the total deposited to a maximum of $200) may be deducted. All pre-paid monies are protected by a fund administered by the Board of Funeral Services.

WHAT ARE TRANSFER SERVICES?

Transfer services are licensed to provide transportation of a body from the place of death to a cemetery or crematorium ( including temporary storage if necessary),and to supply all necessary legal documentation. They can also provide an inexpensive casket.

WHAT IS EMBALMING AND WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE?

Embalming is the chemical disinfection and temporary preservation of a human body. Blood and body fluids are drained from the body and replaced by embalming fluid. Contrary to popular belief, embalming serves no sanitary purpose. The intention of embalming is to make the body more acceptable for viewing for those who choose an open-casket ceremony. There are those who feel that embalming is an indignity to a human body.

DOES ONTARIO LAW REQUIRE THAT A BODY BE EMBALMED?

Embalming is legally required only if a body must be transported and more than 72 hours have elapsed since death or since the removal of the body from refrigerated storage.

WHAT IS CREMATION?

Cremation is a process whereby, with extreme heat, a body is reduced to basic elements in a short time. Instead of years of decomposition in earth burial, it is a quick, clean hastening of the process described by the biblical phrase: "ashes to ashes; dust to dust".

IS A CASKET REQUIRED BY LAW WHEN A BODY IS TO BE CREMATED?

No. However, crematoria establish their own regulations, subject to provincial legal requirements, and all require the use of a strength-tested container of combustible material.

CAN CREMATION TAKE PLACE IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH?

While Ontario law requires no waiting period, coroners will usually specify that cremation not take place before 48 hours from the time of death.

WHAT IS DONE WITH CREMATED REMAINS?

They may be placed in an urn and kept by the family, interred in a cemetery, scattered on private property, or placed in a niche or columbarium at the crematorium.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF ONTARIO FUNERALS INVOLVE CREMATION?

In 2000, about 35% of deaths resulted in cremation, up from 6% in 1970.

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO DONATE MY BODY TO A MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR TEACHING PURPOSES?

Yes, provided the arrangements are made in advance. After use, the university will arrange for burial or cremation of the remains. No university can guarantee acceptance of a body, so alternative arrangements should be made.

CAN I DONATE TISSUE OR ORGANS WITHOUT DONATING MY ENTIRE BODY?

Yes. Donor cards are available from funeral operators, the Solicitor General's office, the Human Parts Bank, etc. In addition, the Ontario Driver's Licence has a space to indicate the organs or tissue to be donated.

WHERE CAN I TAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT FUNERAL SERVICE?

First, try to settle the matter with the funeral establishment or operator concerned. If you are not satisfied, contact your local Memorial Society, which will assist you in filing a complaint to:

The Registrar

The Board of Funeral Services

777 Bay Street, Suite 2810 P.O. Box 117

Toronto, Ontario M5B 2C8

Tel: (416)979-5450

Toll Free: 1(800)387-4458

Email: Funeral Board

WWW: Funeral Board

 English


For assistance or more information, contact your local Memorial Society or write to:

Federation of Ontario Memorial Societies (Funeral Consumers' Alliance)

55 St Phillips Road

Etobicoke, Ontario M9P 2N8

Tel: (905)241-6274