Death Care Arrangements

As is with other funeral home services, Pine Box Funerals Inc. provides final care services which include legal oversight of the disposition process. This means providing legal documentation as well as cremation services, natural/traditional cemetery burial, or coordination for medical or *research donation (*must be in place before death occurs).

Please see our Information and Resources page for links to local providers for celebrations of life, memorials, unique commemorations and local resources.

Our simple cremation cost is: $1475.00 + gst. This covers all of the legally required processes and paperwork related to cremation. Additional costs would be related to viewing, dressing or shrouding, urns, keepsakes, jewellery and newspaper obituary. Pine Box Funerals obituaries page is available in the $1475.00.

Simple burial is a little more complicated, depending on the cemetery requirements and caskets. We are able to complete this no frills service for around $8,000.00 in Strathcona County - this includes cemetery plot and related costs.

We can provide natural burial to City of Edmonton at Northern Lights, Aurora Gardens.

Death Care Arrangements aka funeral home services

We provide the following services:

• Arrangement consultation

• Transportation from location of death to funeral home

• Housing of the decedent

• ID and cremation process

• A cardboard container to be cremated in

• If burial arrangement: transportation and liaison with cemetery

• Obituary consult and placement on website

• Cemetery liaison

• Vital statistics registration

• Burial permit

• Funeral Director Statements of Death

• CPP Death Benefit application

• Old Age Security and Canadian Pension Plan (Service Canada) notification

• CRA advisement

• Equifax + TransUnion registration

Palliative Passing Away at Home Medical Assistance in Dying - Alberta

In-home, end of life care of a family member is more common with the availability of home care, hospice and palliative care supports. When making end of life decisions, dying at home may be thought to be the most desired location. This decision is often complicated by family supports and pain management. It can change as the trajectory progresses. A family meaningful death care experience can take place wherever death occurs. Our systems of health and death care are not great about connecting family to service providers. The hand-off from life to death by our systems is pretty awkward. This “missing piece” in the circle of care is the up and coming profession of death doula.

There is this in between piece that is kind of a “what now?” just after death happens. It is the time between when death occurs and when the decedent leaves to the funeral home. This time out of time piece could/should be used to make meaning, create ceremony, sit and soak in the presence of time immemorial. The term “crossing the threshold” is an apt descriptor of the time. As a funeral director / death doula, I’m able to help you create this time. Considerations that include music, aromatherapy, dressing, bathing, shrouding, readings. Preparing for this piece helps to build a security net around that “what now?”

In Alberta, all decedents are required to transfer in a leakproof container. The transfer people or funeral home will supply a zippered bag for this purpose. Now, I’ve never been a big fan of just the bag, but there is a requirement - so let’s work with it. There are simple shrouding actions that can be taken, so the decedent leaves home swaddled, with care and love. This action helps to lessen the distress family members can feel with the zippered bag.

For individuals and families considering the medical assistance in dying program, we can support you in family death care. There doesn’t need to be a lot of lead time to prepare for home death care, before physical departure needs to take place.

If death takes place in a care facility, the loved one, could be returned home for final care. Circumstances always prevail in planning.

The logistics of keeping a loved one at home after death don’t need to be overly complicated, just well thought through.  A practical timeline for the deceased to remain at home is 12 to 48 hours. For further information or a complementary consultation, contact us.

Death Doula

End-of-Life Doulas(EOLDs) are non-medical companions to the dying and their families. Doulas do not take the place of hospice personnel; rather, they complement other services that a dying person and their family may be receiving, including hospice or palliative care. They provide a wide range of holistic services, including physical, emotional, spiritual and practical support. EOLDs may work with families from initial diagnosis through bereavement.

End-of-life doulas empower, educate and encourage people and their families to be involved in making decisions.  The word "doula" is Greek for servant or helper. Like a birth doula supports women during the labor process, a death doula supports a person during the dying process. This support is specific to that person's needs, beliefs, and desires.  Death is a process that can span over months or even years. Doulas can help with support and planning for the future, regardless of diagnosis or illness.  Having a conversation or making a plan when you are healthy, is encouraged by doulas so that the care received at the end of life is appropriate and aligned with your wishes.

Death Doulas educate and empower families, providing support as we work to cope with death as a natural and important part of life. We can put you in touch with local providers on our Resources page.

Learn more about the growing grassroots movement of death doulas in Canada: www.ddnbc.ca

Organ and Tissue Donation

When the body dies, organs and tissue may be donated to patients in need . This process of organ and tissue donation must be completed very quickly. 

According to Alberta Health, more than 4,500 Canadians (700 Albertans) are waiting for a life-saving transplant. 

Most religions respect a person’s right to make a decision about organ and tissue donation. Talk to your spiritual advisor.

You can identify on your driver’s license whether you wish to become an organ donor. 

Learn more here.

Anatomical Research

A deceased can be provided to the University of Alberta for research and study. There is not always a need for anatomical research, so a Plan B is encouraged, as a precaution. The University of Alberta reserves the right to decline donations. In that case, the family is then responsible for the body. Further information, including contact information, can be found here. Donation for anatomical research must be coordinated in advance, (in your will, as part of your Advanced Care Plan) and cannot be decided at the time of death.

Embalming

Embalming is not required in Alberta. Embalming is the process of removing bodily fluids from the decedent and replacing them with chemicals, for the purpose of preservation and protection of public safety. Pine Box Funerals does not condone the regular practice of embalming. But, there are circumstances when it is most certainly required. Embalmers are hard working, committed professionals. If we determine embalming is needed in your circumstance, the service is available.