You need to go into the funeral home to make funeral arrangements and are not sure where to start. Among other things, you may be nervous, anxious, confused, exhausted and grief-stricken. There seems to be so much to do and not enough time to get it all done. It is no surprise some people approach funeral arrangements with such trepidation.

The following information is geared to help relieve much of your stress and anxiety and can also serve as a guideline to help you prepare for the meeting that you will have with us. Although we will guide you through the entire funeral arrangement process, there are some things you will need to know or bring in with you.

Chances are you have called us to inform us of the death of someone. This is usually your first contact with the funeral home and during this conversation we will ask you questions such as:

• Name of deceased person
• Place of Death
• Next of Kin information (Name, address, telephone number)
• Burial or Cremation preference if known and location of any cemetery property (if you have cemetery papers, it can be helpful to bring them in with you if they are easily accessible)
• Religious affiliation (if any)
• Is anyone out of town? Will it be necessary to delay any funeral services to allow people to arrange to travel to the funeral?
• Clothing for the deceased to wear if there is to be a viewing (open casket)
• A recent photograph to help us with the appearance of the deceased if there is to be viewing (open casket)
• A mutually convenient appointment time to have you come in to complete arrangements

All of the above is variable depending on individual circumstances. We will obtain from you the information we require and will advise you of anything else you need to do.

When you first arrive for your appointment, one of our staff will meet you at the front door and take you to one of our offices (there is an automatic doorbell so we’ll know you’ve arrived). We’ll try to make sure you’re comfortable and ask you if you’d like a coffee, water or a soft drink. At this point one of our Funeral Directors will begin going over information with you and will take you through the entire process of arranging the funeral and getting the details needed to complete all required paperwork. If, at any time, you have questions or concerns, please ask! Our goal is that by the conclusion of our meeting, you will be completely satisfied with all the details of the funeral arrangements and all your questions will have been answered.

In order to complete a government document known as a “Statement of Death” in order for us to register the death, we will need the following information (if available) about the deceased:

• Full name
• Social Insurance Number
• Birth date
• Place of Birth (City, Province, Country)
• Place of Death
• Where applicable, first name and maiden name of spouse or former spouse if divorced
• Occupation performed during most of working life and type of industry/business
• Father’s first and last name and place of birth
• Mother’s first and MAIDEN last name and place of birth

Sometimes it is difficult or impossible to obtain all the above information. If this is the case, our Funeral Director will explain how we can deal with any missing information.

In addition, if applicable, we will discuss with you funeral details such as date, place and time of funeral service, who will be officiating at the service (we can arrange clergy if needed), pallbearers, the death notice in the newspaper (Click here for ideas about writing a Death Notice) and photos and music for the DVD Tribute.

If you are uncertain if you wish burial or cremation for the deceased, we will explain all your options to help you make a clear and informed decision.

If you are opting to have a visitation and need to select a casket, we have a number available in our selection room that you can see in a non-pressure environment. You are free to choose any funeral merchandise you desire in a relaxed atmosphere. If you wish, we will stay in the selection room with you while you make your selections (in case you have questions) or we can leave you on your own while you make your choice. We leave that up to you. After you have made your selections, we will complete and have you sign a Service Agreement which will show all costs and disbursements in detail and give you a copy. If necessary, you will also receive an information sheet which will help you remember any details that may still need attending to.

The above is meant as a guideline only as every funeral arrangement is unique just as every person is unique. The time to complete the arrangements can vary greatly as well. There are literally dozens of details that need to be dealt with and we are here to help with them all. Hopefully the information contained throughout our website is helpful to you. If you have any questions whatsoever, please feel free to contact us.