CONTACT One of our funeral SERVICE partnerS (FUNERAL HOME)
Let the funeral director know that the deceased is a CMS member and if they made any arrangements for organ/body/tissue donation. If the person made arrangements to donate, the family must respect those wishes.
If it is possible, locate a copy of the will in order to identify the personal representative, if it is not already known. It is their responsibility to take the lead on funeral preparations.
The funeral director will access the member's guidance information in our registry and they will help the personal representative select a CMS plan (if one has not already been selected by the member). If one has not been selected, or pre-paid, a decision on the method of disposition for the body must be made. In Alberta, these options are cremation or burial.
The funeral director will guide 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 according to the wishes of our member.
If it is possible, locate a copy of the will in order to identify the personal representative, if it is not already known. It is their responsibility to take the lead on funeral preparations.
The funeral director will access the member's guidance information in our registry and they will help the personal representative select a CMS plan (if one has not already been selected by the member). If one has not been selected, or pre-paid, a decision on the method of disposition for the body must be made. In Alberta, these options are cremation or burial.
The funeral director will guide 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 according to the wishes of our member.
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.
Secure Property and belongings
Lock up the person's home and vehicle. Make sure the car is parked in a secure and legal area. If the home will be vacant, 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.
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 our 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.
MAKE Funeral Preparations
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. We like to suggest, whenever possible, bring someone with you when making funeral arrangements to act as your advocate or support.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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