If your loved one passes away while under the care of a facility — such as a nursing home or a hospital — staff from the facility will contact you and then notify the appropriate people to facilitate the transfer into the funeral homes care.

If the death occurred in the workplace or at home unexpectedly, you will need to get in touch with his/her physician or emergency medical personnel, as the cause of death must be identified and indicated in legal documents prior to the funeral home attending.

If the death occurs at home and there is an "expected death at home" plan in place, there will be a phone number for a nurse to come, pronounce the death and complete the funeral home transfer documentation allowing the release of your loved one into the funeral homes care.

In the event that no one was present at the time of death, you will need to contact the police before moving the deceased to another location.

Once you have been notified about the death, it is best to call the funeral home, as the funeral home will need consent from the legal next of kin to transfer your loved one into our care. In some places, such as hospitals and nursing homes, a funeral home release form with your name and phone number are required. 

We collect information from you in order to facilitate the transfer of your loved one’s remains to our facility. You would also be asked if the deceased has made pre-arrangements and whether or not you would like for him/her to be embalmed. While of course you can ask any questions you have in your mind during this call, note that once you visit the funeral home, we can discuss the arrangements in greater detail.

During this call, you’ll also be informed about the things that you need to bring with you including: birth certificate(s), social insurance card(s), will, marriage certificate, clothing, photo, etc. Feel free to call us whenever you feel the need to. Remember that we are here to listen to you, help you, and guide you during this difficult and trying time.

A funeral director statement of death is a legal document created by the funeral home, which contains the deceased's name, social insurance number, the date and location of death, and who the executor or legal next of kin is. This document is used for banks, insurance companies, lawyers, etc. The funeral home will typically provide you with 15 originals to start, and more may be requested at any time by the executor or legal next of kin. 

A death certificate is a legal document indicating the cause of death, including other vital statistics pertaining to the deceased, signed by the attending physician. This document is provided to the Funeral Home at the time of death and is used to register the death with the Province of Ontario. The Funeral Home cannot copy or give out this document. Should you require the official Medical Certificate of Death, you will need to wait until the death is fully registered before applying to the Office of the Registrar General by mail, fax or online.