This guide aims to answer some key questions about making funeral or cremation arrangements in New Brunswick. We provide an overview of some legal aspects of making funeral plans specific to New Brunswick funeral laws and what funeral or cremation costs to expect.
Choosing a Funeral Provider in New Brunswick
Making funeral arrangements can be extremely daunting, especially if you are starting from scratch and have just been bereaved. There are over 80 funeral homes and mortuaries in New Brunswick, along with around 10+ crematoriums, cemeteries and Memorial Gardens. This can make it a difficult task knowing which funeral home to choose.
Many people opt to choose a ‘trusted’ funeral home as recommended by family and friends, and if you live in a more rural area in New Brunswick, it may well be that you have only one local funeral home. However, many funeral businesses in New Brunswick cover a much wider area than their own community, and it can serve you well to check out the various options you have.
Canadian Funerals Online is a complete FREE resource guide on planning or arranging a funeral service, and a directory of all funeral homes in Canada, so not only can we help you locate a funeral provider, but hopefully we can assist you with saving money on a funeral in New Brunswick.
What is the cost of a funeral in New Brunswick?
With funeral costs and personalized rituals becoming new concerns for New Brunswickers, the Internet proves a great tool to check out and compare funeral services in New Brunswick. Unfortunately, as a New Brunswicker you will struggle to find any explicit reference to funeral prices as New Brunswick funeral homes are prohibited from making any reference to funeral prices in their advertising as specified by the ‘Regulations Under The Embalmers, Funeral Directors and Funeral Providers Act’.
What you should be aware of is that funeral homes can, and do, charge very different prices for the same service. Therefore if you are working to a funeral budget, it is imperative that you check a general price list and get specific funeral costs from more than one funeral home.
With cremation a popular option in New Brunswick, it is certainly much easier to select from several funeral companies who will all cover a wider area for a cremation, and it is certainly possible to find a simple cremation for under $1,700. Do not be fooled by the corporate funeral businesses who still trade under family names, their funeral costs are likely to be significantly higher than an independent funeral home. Remember, the important thing is to seek service and price information from more than one provider.
Canadian Funerals Online works with DFS Memorials of Canada to connect people with an affordable, local, family-owned funeral business that can serve its local community at their time of need.
The New Brunswick Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association (NBFDEA) is an organisation that ensures funeral businesses maintain a certain standard of ethics and level of service, so membership of this association should assure of a quality standard.
Arranging a Funeral in New Brunswick
A licensed funeral director or embalmer will coordinate all details once he or she has been appointed. All licensed funeral directors in New Brunswick have to qualify as an embalmer.
If possible, try and have a clear outline of what type of funeral service and products you require before contacting a funeral home, this way you can more objectively ascertain your requirements without being overwhelmed with questions.
How do I obtain a certified copy of a Death Certificate in New Brunswick?
The funeral home will ordinarily obtain the death certificate for you. The Vital Statistic branch of the Government of New Brunswick issues death certificates. This can be done online or by mail/ in person. The in person/ mail cost for a Long Form Death Certificate is $45.00, whereas online applications are $40.00. A request for a death certificate will usually be processed within 10 business days excluding delivery time.
Cremation or burial?
Cremation is now a very popular choice for disposition, and a cremation service can be just as ‘traditional’ as a burial service. A family viewing can still be conducted if required and a memorial service held. After a cremation the ashes can be interred as with a burial, or the ashes can be kept with the family or scattered. Cremation is certainly a more cost-effective option if you have a specific financial budget.
Can I Pre-plan a Funeral in New Brunswick?
More and more people are choosing to pre-plan their funeral arrangements these days, largely to alleviate loved ones of the financial and emotional burden. Only Funeral directors in New Brunswick qualified to sell pre-arrangement plans can offer this service. The monies are held in a trust fund and this is monitored and audited by the New Brunswick Department of Justice. The funds are locked in and cannot be accessed, even by the funeral home, until a copy of the statement of death is issued to the Trust Company.
What to Do if a Death Occurs outside of New Brunswick, or the deceased needs transporting to another Province or Country?
If your loved one dies outside of New Brunswick and needs transporting back to the Province, you will need the services of a funeral home experienced in funeral shipping. Ordinarily a local funeral home will coordinate with a funeral home at the place where the deceased’s body is and arrange the transfer of the remains. Shipping a body is obviously more costly than shipping cremated remains, and the necessary paperwork has to be completed. As a general guide the fee for handling the transfer of remains internationally can be around $4,000 plus the actual shipping fee from the airline.
How to Arrange a Whole Body Medical Donation to Science in New Brunswick
Dalhousie University does accept medical donations for the purpose of medical research and training. It is necessary to complete the donation forms to authorise the donation of a body. The University will collect the deceased from the place of death, and after the donation will arrange for the cremation, and/or return of the remains, usually at no cost to the family. Not all donations can be accepted at the time of death, so alternative arrangements should always be available. Visit our article on Body Donation for more information or contact:
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology,
Faculty of Medicine, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, 5850
College St., Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 1X5.
If You Have a Complaint About Any Funeral Services in New Brunswick
A funeral business will usually try and find a resolution, but in the event that you have a grievance or complaint about a funeral home in New Brunswick, you can make a formal complaint to the NBFDEA office.
