We are So sorry for your loss
Please use this checklist to help guide your plans the final arrangements of a CMS member:
1. CONTACT a CMS funeral SERVICE partner (FUNERAL HOME)
Be sure to let them know the deceased is a CMS member to receive the help you need, access to the online registry, and a discounted plan. Our service provider will assist you in making all necessary arrangements including picking up the body, completing and submitting the after-death documentation and facilitating the funeral or memorial arrangements with you according to the wishes of the CMS member.
At your initial visit, the funeral director will check our registry to see if the deceased left special instructions for their final arrangements. In many cases, the deceased may have already talked to you about their funeral preferences. If not, don't worry, other family members may have better insight. The funeral director will help you through this process.
At your initial visit, the funeral director will check our registry to see if the deceased left special instructions for their final arrangements. In many cases, the deceased may have already talked to you about their funeral preferences. If not, don't worry, other family members may have better insight. The funeral director will help you through this process.
2. Contact Immediate Family
Update key family members by bringing them together in person, by phone or electronically (via mass email, What's App, Zoom or Facebook Family page, etc. ), not only to comfort one another but also to share information about important decisions that must be made — some of them immediately. Refer to the CMS Guidance Form or get a print out of the online registry from the funeral director to help you in family decision-making.
3. Secure Property and belongings
Lock up the person's home and vehicle. Is the car parked in a secure and legal area? Will the home be vacant? If so, you may want to notify the police (dial the non-emergency number), landlord or property manager. Have someone care for pets until a permanent arrangement is made. Calgary Police Non-Emergency Number: 403-266-1234.
4. LOCATE the WILL AND FOLLOW BODY BEQUEATHAL INSTRUCTIONS
You will need to locate a copy of the will and identify the personal representative if it is not already known. It is their responsibility to take the lead on funeral preparations. If the person made arrangements to donate his or her body to a medical school, the family must respect those wishes. An advance directive, enduring power of attorney or information in the registry may guide your decisions. If the person hasn't made arrangements, the next of kin can donate the body, but the decision needs to be made as early as possible. Consult with the funeral director for assistance.
5. Notify Canada Post
Use the forward mail option. This will prevent accumulating mail from attracting attention. It can also inform you and personal representative (executor) about subscriptions, creditors and other accounts that need to be canceled when time permits. The mail that comes in will be very valuable in tracking down what you may not have thought of. Canada Post Customer Service 1-800-267-1177 or Canada Post Mail Forwarding.
6. Register the death
All Alberta deaths must be registered with the Government of Alberta. The Registration of Death document becomes a permanent legal record of the death event. It is important that the information is completed fully and accurately. The reverse side of the CMS Guidance Form or information gathered in the registry provides for the collection of this vital statistics information. The funeral director will help you complete this form and provide you with an immediate Statement of Death. After a death is registered, you may order a Death Certificate from any Alberta Registry.
7. Consider Funeral Preparations
Whenever possible, bring someone with you when making funeral arrangements to act as your advocate or support. The funeral director will explain the CMS funeral plans and additional options to you as you are making the arrangements. This may feel overwhelming. If you do not want to receive what might feel like a sales pitch, be very clear about your wishes to stick to a particular CMS plan from the beginning. Let the funeral director know if you don’t want to hear all the options. Review Plans for CMS Members.
8. Write the obituary
The cost of placing an obituary is in addition to the CMS plan and can be very expensive depending on the newspaper(s) selected and the length of the obituary. In today's world of social media, service providers post a tribute or obituary on their own website. We suggest writing two versions - a comprehensive obituary and a brief obituary. Use the brief obituary in the newspaper to save space and cost, pointing people to the funeral home's website for the comprehensive obituary. The funeral home can help you write both versions for a fee so be sure to bring any pictures and details when you go to the funeral home to make arrangements. You may save money by writing it yourself using our guidance and templates. TIP: Don't include such details as exact date of birth in the obituary to prevent identity theft.
9. Notify Employer, Close friends and extended family
Make a list of as many people as you can. Find contacts through email accounts and contact lists. Contact any employer(s) and organizations the deceased belonged to, if necessary.
Let friends and acquaintances know about the death via social media. As more and more people share information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media outlets, the concept of oversharing - even privacy itself have disappeared. Members of younger generations are far more likely to text, tweet or post than they are to pick up the phone or even send an email. As this generation and their children ages, sharing intensely personal information, up to and including death announcements, has quickly become the norm. Should you post? That is a question that close friends and family should answer based on the actions and preferences of the member.
Facebook recently rolled out an update clarifying the status of legacy accounts. For the last several years, they have allowed profiles of the deceased to be memorialized. Memorialized accounts are a place for friends and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away. Now there are additional options regarding what happens to a person's account data and public profile after they pass away. One new option allows the facebook account to be totally deleted upon notification of death. Another option for the Facebook Account holder is to designate a Facebook friend as a “legacy contact.” This person will have the ability to create a beautiful memorial post, and to pin it indefinitely to the top of the timeline. The legacy contact will not be allowed create posts on the deceased's behalf and they will not have access to private messages. They will have access to photos and are allowed to download the archive.
Let friends and acquaintances know about the death via social media. As more and more people share information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media outlets, the concept of oversharing - even privacy itself have disappeared. Members of younger generations are far more likely to text, tweet or post than they are to pick up the phone or even send an email. As this generation and their children ages, sharing intensely personal information, up to and including death announcements, has quickly become the norm. Should you post? That is a question that close friends and family should answer based on the actions and preferences of the member.
Facebook recently rolled out an update clarifying the status of legacy accounts. For the last several years, they have allowed profiles of the deceased to be memorialized. Memorialized accounts are a place for friends and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away. Now there are additional options regarding what happens to a person's account data and public profile after they pass away. One new option allows the facebook account to be totally deleted upon notification of death. Another option for the Facebook Account holder is to designate a Facebook friend as a “legacy contact.” This person will have the ability to create a beautiful memorial post, and to pin it indefinitely to the top of the timeline. The legacy contact will not be allowed create posts on the deceased's behalf and they will not have access to private messages. They will have access to photos and are allowed to download the archive.
10. PLAN THE FUNERAL OR MEMORIAL SERVICE
For most people, after a death has occurred, it is important that family and friends have opportunities to come together to grieve. Funeral and memorial services or other public gatherings are ways for this to happen. They also allow the wider community to support family members and recognize the loss. How or where people gather is not as important as the fact that they are able to come together. If our member did not leave further guidance, it is important to consider family wishes, religious and cultural beliefs, finances, and certain basic information and options. For example:
- Do you want cremation or burial? When a body is cremated, the remains are burned to ash (sometimes called "cremains" or "cremated remains") and may be buried in the earth, interred in a columbarium niche, kept by the family in an urn, or scattered. Cremation is generally much less expensive than burial. Plans B1A, B1B and B2 are our most popular plans.
- Our cremation plans include a basic cremation tray. If you choose to bury or store the the ashes in a cemetery columbarium, you will need to purchase a special urn for that purpose. If you prefer to scatter the ashes, you can accept the ashes in the container provided or provide your own. This can be any kind of container. It doesn't have to be an expensive urn.
- If you choose burial, you will need to select a cemetery and purchase a plot for a casket, urn or both. Our service provider can help you with this if you want help. Prices vary depending on type of plot and cemetery selected. Private cemeteries are more expensive than municipal cemeteries. Private and public cemeteries are all subject to the same legislation governing perpetuity. Funeral Services Act (PDF)
- Arrange for headstone. You can typically purchase a headstone through the cemetery or from an outside vendor of your choice. Consult the cemetery about rules, regulations and specifications such as color and size, particularly if you go with an outside vendor.
- Still not sure what to do? Consult with our service provider and your family to help select the best option within your budget.
- Do you want a funeral or memorial service? At a funeral, the body is present in either an open or closed casket; at a memorial service, it is not. Either service can be religious or not; it can be held in a church, the funeral facility, private home or any other place of choice. The kind of service does not dictate whether burial or cremation is chosen, nor does the choice of burial or cremation determine the kind of service held.
- Enlist help for the funeral or memorial service. Relatives and friends may be needed to serve as pallbearers, to create or design the funeral program, prepare a slide show, cook meals (for a repast gathering or simply for the household of the deceased), take care of children or pets, or shop for any items needed for the funeral or household of the deceased.
- Organize a post-funeral gathering. Depending on your tradition, it's called a repast or a wake. It can be held at the church, a banquet hall or someone's house. Enlist the help of friends and relatives to plan.
- Spread the word about the service. Once a date and time have been set for the service, share the details with those on your contact list. Include an address to send cards, flowers or donations.
- Make a list of well-wishers. Keep track of who sends cards, flowers and donations so that you can acknowledge them later.
11. after care services
Our service providers can provide ‘after care’ services for an additional fee. This involves a funeral director meeting with the family to discuss death benefits such as Canada Pension Plan, Veterans’ benefits, etc. as well as information on how to discontinue a driver’s licence, work with the bank, deal with income taxes, etc. There is an extra cost attached to this service, but for some people it may be very useful. For others, it might be enough to use this checklist and the checklist for the executor.
Did we leave something out? Please let us know.
More information
"Saying Farewell" published by the Government of Alberta.
Guidelines for religious traditions and funerals
Grief support
Guidelines for religious traditions and funerals
Grief support