The Basics of Making Funeral Arrangements in Advance
Take care of all the funeral pre-arrangement details and give you and your family the peace-of-mind you deserve with our funeral pre planning guide. Here's a break-down of the process:
Set goals
Review limitations
Look at available options
Weigh the pros and cons of each option
Talk to others about the best options
Arrive at a final decision
In the case of making funeral arrangements in advance, another two important steps are involved:
Write out your plan with as many details as possible.
Send your plan to the funeral home and provide a copy to your executor.
There are two ways for you to complete your funeral pre-arrangement plan.
Taking Care of Finances and Property
Create a contact list of everyone who should be notified in a medical emergency or death including the name of your funeral home.
Give your executor(s) a copy of your will and the contact list.
Give your executor(s) a list of bank and investment accounts, creditors, mortgage or lien information, insurance policies, retirement plans, safe deposit boxes, real and personal properties of value, and all related telephone numbers.
If you are receiving benefits from Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security or the Veterans' Administration, your executor needs that information to suspend benefit payments.
Select someone you trust to deal with your online accounts: email, online memberships, and social media. Include all relevant information and whether or not they should delete, close, or keep any of the accounts.
Taking Care of Funeral-Related Details
We suggest the following:
Make note of all the details you want mentioned in your obituary. You could even take this one step further and write your own obituary.
State, in writing, your preferences for burial or cremation.
If burial is preferred, provide the details of the cemetery arrangements. If you have not purchased a burial plot, this is the time to do so.
If you have chosen burial, what type of casket would you like? Should it be made of wood, metal, or composite materials?
If you choose cremation, what do you want done with the ashes?
Would you like a traditional funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life?
If you'd like a celebration-of-life, what location would you suggest for this event?
What special activities would you prefer at a celebration-of-life?
What music or special readings would you prefer?
What type and colours of flowers would you prefer?
Would you like to select a charitable organization to receive donations in your name?
Taking Care of Your Pets
If you share your life with animal companions, you should think about who you would like to take care of your pets. Consult with the person to see if this is something they are interested in doing for you and then write down your intentions and include all contact information. This should be signed and witnessed, and then given to your executor.
Final Tasks in Funeral Pre-Planning
In addition to your will, the contact list, and the list of all your online account login details and related documents should be provided to your executor.
Finally, you may want to consider paying ahead of time for your funeral choices. Speak to us about how your pre-payment monies will be handled.
Using the Online Pre-Planning Tool
This website features Pre-Arrange Online, a step-by-step interactive form that can be used to record your end-of-life plan and send the completed form to our staff for safekeeping. You'll be asked to create an account with a username and password so you can login at any time to complete or change the plan.
Turn to the Professionals
Many people are more comfortable making these decisions with funeral professionals. If you would like us to help, call us at 403-528-2599 or 1-800-317-2647 or send us an email using the Contact Us form.
Take care of all the funeral pre-arrangement details and give you and your family the peace-of-mind you deserve with our funeral pre planning guide. Here's a break-down of the process:
If you share your life with animal companions, you should think about who you would like to take care of your pets. Consult with the person to see if this is something they are interested in doing for you and then write down your intentions and include all contact information. This should be signed and witnessed, and then given to your executor.
