WHERE TO BEGIN

Services - Where to Begin

When a death occurs in your family, it can be overwhelming, but you are not alone. We are here to guide you through the entire process and make it an experience of love, healing and life celebration. We encourage you to involve a close family member and/or trusted friend. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 403-235-3602 to assist you when you need it most. Below is some information to get you started.

Immediate Assistance: We're Just A Call Away

If you need our services immediately, rest assured that compassionate and certified funeral directors are available 24/7 at 403-235-3602. We focus entirely on helping families navigate these trying times; no question is too difficult for us to answer.

The First 24-48 Hours:

Embarking on the Planning Voyage

This is the time to review your loved one’s preplanned funeral wishes and meet with a funeral director to begin arranging their service. If your loved one did not preplan their funeral, one of our funeral directors will help guide you through the decision making process. Consider who you would like to be involved in this process and then contact us to schedule a time to meet all together.

We are here to make this process easier for you. An important part of the planning process is understanding and listening to your needs. That is why we have professionally trained, caring and supportive Funeral Directors that will help you consider budgets, timelines, different family preferences and other logistics.

You don’t need to have all the answers right away. We will guide the discussion through each decision, especially when it might seem difficult.

Some Thoughts to Ponder:

• Burial or cremation?
• Would anyone like a last moment with the departed?
• Cemetery preferences, if opting for burial
• What to do with the cremated remains if cremation is chosen
• Venue options for the service or gathering
• Any religious affiliations or figures to involve
• Who could contribute with words or music
• Preferences for a casket, urn, or floral arrangements
  

When A Death is Expected

• If the death is expected at home or in a care facility, our associates can come right away and bring your loved one into our care.
• If the death is at a hospital, there are specific procedures to follow prior to transferring your loved one into our care. This may take a little time and we must allow the hospital protocol to unfold. We can review this with you personally.
  

What A Death is Unexpected

Days 1-3:

Meeting with the Funeral Director & Discussing Funeral Arrangements

When you meet with a member of our staff to discuss these arrangements, we begin by learning about your family’s circumstances in order to offer the best guidance possible. What is important to you is important to us.

A concerning part of the planning process can be cost. We understand that, and will review our general price guide and all other relevant costs to the funeral, so that you have clarity on what to expect, and what options are most appropriate.

We will ask you about your loved one to gain an understanding of the person we will honor. Please use this time to communicate your ideas and preferences, share your loved one’s life story, revisit memories, and highlight their accomplishments. Our professionals will use this information to guide us in the creation of a personalized, meaningful celebration of your loved one’s life.

This process can include:

• Collecting personal information for the legal registration of death
• Determining whether or not a service/gathering will be held, and the best venue
• Identifying a timeline for important tasks, including gathering information and scheduling viewings, services, video tributes, receptions, cremation or burial, and other relevant times.
• Selecting a casket, vault, urn, flowers or other products you may need
• Drafting an obituary
• Assistance with selecting music, speakers, poems, casket or urn bearers.
• Completion of necessary authorizations and contracts
  

What to Bring Along:

We like to make this process as smooth and stress-free for you as we can. we have compiled a worksheet that contains all of the information you will need to bring. Here is a document for you to print off and bring with you.

We also encourage you to bring any clothing you would like us to use when dressing the deceased and photographs for the obituary or service folder. If you would like our help with any insurance claims, please bring the policy information.

Do not worry if you can’t find everything for our meeting. We will get through this one step at a time.

After the Service: Our Commitment Continues

When the service is complete, we continue to care for you and your family through our “Family Care” program. The sole purpose is to help you resolve some of the practical matters of settling an estate. We will meet you at either your home or the funeral home after the service. We know that there may be many things on your mind and you may not know where to start. Our Family Care program is designed to help ease these burdens and get you back on your feet. The following is a list of ways that our Family Care director can assist:

• Canada Pension Plan & Old Age Security
• Retirement and Pensions
• Insurance
• Title Transfers
• Credit Card Cancellations
• Bank Account Updates
• Memorialization
• Survivors Funeral Plans
• Grief counseling