Provincial Assistance
Each province in Canada has its own set of funeral regulations and codes of conduct which your chosen funeral home must follow. We have provided links to regulations which govern the provision of funeral services in each province – simply click on your provincial link to learn more.
We have also provided key excerpts of each province’s funeral regulations, focusing in particular on the requirement for funeral homes to provide visibility to consumers on their pricing (in particular the provision of general price lists), and the acceptance of merchandise provided by third parties.
We have provided a quick summary for each province in the below table. As above, you will see that there are a number of provinces which do not have such requirements in their regulations. In these provinces, other excerpts have been provided where applicable, e.g. Codes of Conduct etc.
Please click your province to be directed immediately to your province’s applicable legislation.
B.C. Regulations
Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act
Summary: Legislation in B.C. requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers upon request. Also, funeral homes must accept caskets / containers provided by third parties without levying any additional fees.
Key excerpts
31. Requirement for schedule of rates
(1) A provider must keep at its business premises a price list that
(a) indicates the current prices for all goods and services that the provider currently offers to supply,
(b) indicates each good or service that is necessarily or usually required if another good or service that the provider currently offers to supply is supplied,
(c) indicates the current amounts of any disbursements or fees that are necessarily or usually required to be paid in connection with any good or service that the provider currently offers to supply,
(d) either
(i) includes the model number, description and manufacturer’s name for each of the goods that the provider currently offers to supply, or
(ii) includes a reference to a catalogue or binder that is available to the public on request at the provider’s business premises and that contains the information mentioned in subparagraph (i),
(e) expresses each price of a good or service as a fixed charge, an hourly rate, a rate per kilometre or some other unit of compensation, and
(f) clearly states the price list’s effective date and the name and address of the provider.
(2) The provider must
(a) display the price list in a place on the business premises that is accessible to members of the public, and
(b) give a copy of the price list to a consumer on request
32. Requirement to give accurate information
A provider that receives an inquiry respecting the nature or price of cemetery services, funeral services or memorials offered by the provider must
(a) give accurate information respecting the nature and price of the cemetery services, funeral services or memorials,
(b) inform the person making the inquiry of any good or service that is necessarily or usually required in conjunction with the cemetery services, funeral services or memorials to which the inquiry relates,
(c) inform the person making the inquiry of the current amounts of the disbursements or fees that are necessarily or usually required in conjunction with
(i) the cemetery services, funeral services or memorials to which the inquiry relates, and
(ii) any good or service that is necessarily or usually required in conjunction with the cemetery services, funeral services or memorials to which the inquiry relates, and
(d) state specifically what goods and services are included in any price quoted.
33. Prohibited charges respecting containers
A funeral provider or an operator must not charge any fee or disbursement for using or handling a container referred to in section 11 [containers for interment or cremation] of the Cremation, interment and Funeral Services Act.
Section 11 of the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act.
11. Containers for interment or cremation
Unless permitted by the regulations, a funeral provider and an operator must not refuse to accept or handle a container to enclose human remains that
(a) is supplied by a person other than the operator and the funeral provider, and
(b) meets the requirements of the regulations and any requirements under the Public Health Act
Alberta Regulations
Province of Alberta Funeral Services Act
Province of Alberta Funeral Services Act – General Regulation
Summary: Alberta does not have any legislation which requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers, or to accept caskets / containers provided by third parties.
Alberta Funeral Services Code of Conduct
All persons licensed under the Funeral Services Act, referred to collectively as “funeral professionals”, have responsibilities to their profession, their colleagues, the families they serve and to the public at large.
To carry out these responsibilities funeral professionals must recognize that businesses operate within a framework of competition and cooperation. All efforts must be made to ensure each funeral business is conducted honestly and in a professional manner, demonstrating respect for colleagues. This professional respect will maintain and enhance public confidence and understanding of the funeral profession and funeral professionals.
Funeral professionals must recognize the need to compete on merit and not by attempts at discrediting or disparaging colleagues. In accordance with this responsibility, funeral professionals will act at all times in accordance with the standards set out below.
- A In matters of professional conduct and co-operation funeral professionals will
- Adhere to Municipal, Provincial and Federal laws and regulations.
- Respect the faiths, beliefs and customs of both the families they serve and the public at large.
- Respect the role of the clergy and adhere to the policies, rules and regulations of the church in which the funeral service is to take place.
- Conduct all business in a professional manner with all personnel, families served, colleagues, service providers, suppliers and the public at large.
- Ensure that all personnel are properly trained for their duties and encourage an environment of life-long learning.
- Encourage and foster an open line of communication with all agencies to better serve families in a professional and timely manner.
- B In matters of accountability to the families funeral professionals will
- Uphold in the strictest confidence matters and aspects pertaining to the family of the deceased.
- Provide a range of options to the family regarding types of funeral services offered and selection of merchandise
- Advise families of all aspects of the funeral service both verbally and in written form to ensure they have complete understanding of the expenses being incurred.
- Ensure that all verbal or written requests from the family are fulfilled whenever professionally acceptable.
- Inform the family of death benefits that may be available through various government and private agencies.
- Demonstrate professional conduct when family members are indecisive about choosing one funeral home over another.
- Demonstrate professional co-operation when one funeral business has been called to transfer human remains from a place of death and the family has requested another funeral business to handle the funeral arrangements. Business transactions resulting from this situation should be expedited between the 2 funeral businesses in a mutually equitable and professional manner. This transaction should not cause undue hardship to the family being served.
- C To show their respect for the deceased all funeral professionals will
- Demonstrate care and respect for the deceased entrusted to their care.
- Ensure that during the embalming of the deceased, only employees of the funeral home, authorized licensed personnel or registered trainees are in attendance.
- D To ensure a high standard of operation and maintenance of each funeral services business all funeral professionals must recognize that
- The business manager is accountable for maintaining a high professional standard in the operation, management and maintenance of the funeral services business.
- All funeral services professionals have a responsibility to ensure that all personnel of the funeral services business are aware of and act in accordance with this Code of Conduct at all times.
Saskatchewan Regulations
The Funeral and Cremation Services Act – Chapter F 23.3 of the Statutes of Saskatchewan
Summary: Legislation in Saskatchewan requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers upon request. Also, funeral homes must accept caskets / containers provided by third parties without levying any additional fees – unless the funeral home charges a similar fee for caskets / containers that it provides.
104 – Price list and other information
A licensee shall:
- (a) keep a current itemized price list of all goods and services offered for sale, in accordance with the regulations;
- (b) if the licensee offers services to the public, have the current itemized price list readily available on the licensee’s business premises and accessible to members of the public and provide a copy of it to any person on request; and
- (c) provide to members of the public any other information that may be prescribed in the regulations and in any manner and form that may be prescribed in the regulations.
102 – Prohibitions
(1) No licensee shall:
- (a) represent that any goods or services offered by the licensee are required by law when they are not; or
- (b) charge a fee for providing goods and services not authorized by the buyer unless they are required by law.
(2) No owner shall charge a handling fee for a casket or container within the meaning of section 96 purchased from someone other than the owner, unless the owner charges the same handling fee for caskets and containers sold by the owner.
(3) No person shall make a false or misleading statement in any application pursuant to this Act, in any proceeding conducted pursuant to this Act or in response to any audit, examination, inspection or investigation carried out pursuant to this Act.
Manitoba Regulations
Summary: Legislation in Manitoba requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers upon request. Also, funeral homes must allow consumer to supply their own container for direct cremations.
14.2 Information disclosure
(1) For the purpose of section 16.2 of the Act, a funeral director, or a person acting for or on his or her behalf, must give a price list to a purchaser, prospective purchaser or any other person requesting it that contains the following information:
(a) the name under which the funeral director carries on business and, if applicable, the corporate name or ownership of the business;
(b) the funeral director’s business address and telephone number;
(c) a caption describing the list as a “general price list”;
(d) the effective date for the price list;
(e) a detailed, separate listing of the supplies and services provided by the funeral director and the cost to be charged to the purchaser for each of those supplies and services, including, without limitation and where applicable, the following:
(i) the professional service charge or the costs associated with the provision of funeral services by the funeral director,
(ii) the transfer of human remains to the funeral director’s place of business,
(iii) the transfer of human remains from the funeral director’s place of business to another funeral director’s place of business,
(iv) the receiving of human remains from another funeral director,
(v) embalming,
(vi) any other funeral supplies or services for the preparation of the body,
(vii) the use of the funeral director’s place of business,
(viii) the use of any other facility or location that is arranged by the funeral director,
(ix) the transportation costs, including the use of hearses or limousines or both,
(x) caskets and other containers, including urns, outer burial containers and shrouds that do not require special ordering,
(xi) printed materials, such as acknowledgment or memorial cards;
(xii) the amount, if any, set aside for the payment of taxes,
(xiii) the itemized cost of other disbursements not included in subclauses (i) to (xii);
(f) a detailed listing of the price ranges for the following supplies and services:
(i) direct cremations, together with
(A) a separate price for a direct cremation when the purchaser provides the container for cremation,
(B) a separate price for a direct cremation offered when the purchaser purchases the container for cremation from the funeral director,
(C) a description of the services and container, if applicable, included in each price, and
(D) a separate listing of the transportation costs from the funeral director’s place of business to the crematory,
(ii) direct burials, together with
(A) a separate price for a direct burial when the purchaser provides the casket or alternative container,
(B) separate prices for a direct burial offered when the purchaser purchases the casket or alternative container from the funeral director, and
(C) a description of the services and casket or alternative container, if applicable, included in that price;
(g) the following statements, if applicable:
“This list does not include prices for certain items that you may ask us to buy for you, such as headstones, cemetery or crematory services, or newspaper notices. The prices for those items will be shown on your bill or the statement describing the funeral supplies and services you selected.”
“Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law.”
“If you want to arrange a direct cremation, you may, if you wish, provide us the container to be used for cremation. Containers can be made of materials such as wood, heavy cardboard or composition materials (with or without an outside covering) or canvas pouches.”
“The supplies and services shown on this price list are those we can provide to purchasers. You may choose only the items you desire. If legal or other requirements mean that you must buy any items you did not specifically ask for, we will explain the reason in writing on the statement we provide describing the funeral supplies and services you selected.”
(2) The retail price of any item on the price list may be expressed either as a flat fee or as a price per hour, kilometre, or other computational unit.
(3) The funeral director must clearly indicate on the general price list — by using the phrase “optional services” — those funeral supplies or services that are provided by the funeral director, but that the purchaser does not have to accept to enter into a sale.
(4) The funeral director must ensure that the information in the general price list is clear and understandable and in a font size that is easy to read.
14.3 Prices of caskets and other containers
(1) If a funeral director makes available a book, brochure, internet site or other written or electronic information that shows the product line of caskets and containers that the funeral director offers for sale, he or she must ensure that the information includes a photograph or drawing of each casket or container and the make, model number and price of each of them.
(2) If a funeral director has a room or area for the display of caskets or alternative containers or models of them for examination, the funeral directo r must ensure that the price is clearly set out and i s affixed to each casket, container or model.
14.4 Written statement to be provided 14.4
(1) At the end of the funeral arrangement discussions, the funeral director must provide to the purchaser an itemized written statement that includes
(a) the following information: (i) the supplies and services selected by the purchaser and the price to be paid for each of them, (ii) the total cost of the selected supplies and services; and
(b) the following statements:
“Charges are only for those supplies and services that are used or provided. If we are required by law to use any supplies or provide any services, we will explain the reasons in writing below.”
“Except in cases where the law requires embalming, you do not have to pay for embalming that you did not order. If we charge you for embalming, we will explain the reasons in writing below.”
(c) a brief description in writing of any legal, cemetery or crematory requirements that the funeral director states or indicates to the purchaser as requiring the purchase of certain funeral supplies and services.
(2) The information to be given under subsection (1) may be included on any contract, statement or other document that the funeral director would otherwise provide to the purchaser at the end of the discussions.
Ontario Regulations
Funeral, Burial, and Cremation Services Act, 2002
Summary: Legislation in Ontario requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers upon request. Ontario does not have any legislation requiring funeral homes to accept merchandise supplied by third parties.
33. Price list
(1) Every operator shall maintain a price list of the licensed supplies and services that are provided by the operator in accordance with the regulations. 2002, c. 33, s. 33 (1).
(2) Every licensee shall make the price list maintained under subsection (1) available to the public in accordance with the regulations. 2002, c. 33, s. 33 (2).
34. Prohibition: exceeding listed price
(1) No licensee shall charge, collect or receive any amount of money for a licensed supply or service that is more than the price indicated on the price list maintained under section 33. 2002, c. 33, s. 34 (1).
(2) A licensee who charges, collects or receives an amount of money for a licensed supply or service that is more than the price indicated on the price list or, if the price for the supply or service sold is not on the price list, more than the price charged for a similar supply or service, shall repay the difference to the purchaser within 30 days. 2002, c. 33, s. 34 (2); 2006, c. 34, Sched. D, s. 21.
In response to a number of third party suppliers of caskets stating on their websites that funeral homes must accept outside sourced caskets, the team at InMemory approached the Bereavement Authority of Ontario for clarification. They responded as follows: “You may buy or rent a casket or provide your own, however a Provider can refuse to accept outside caskets. If you choose to provide your own casket and a Provider allows it, then a Provider may not charge you extra, as long as it is safe, appropriate for the intended use, and meet the requirements of the cemetery or crematorium.”
The BAO further referred us to a directive from 2016 which can be accessed here.
Quebec Regulations
chapter A-23.001 – ACT RESPECTING PREARRANGED FUNERAL SERVICES AND SEPULTURES
Summary: Legislation in Quebec requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers upon request. Quebec does not have any legislation requiring funeral homes to accept merchandise supplied by third parties.
39. The seller shall place at the disposal of the public at all times and in each of his establishments, a list of the current prices of all the goods and services offered by him.
Nova Scotia Regulations
Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act
Summary: Legislation in Nova Scotia only requires funeral homes to make detailed casket/container price lists available to consumers upon request. Nova Scotia does not have any legislation requiring funeral homes to accept merchandise supplied by third parties.
18B (1) The catalogue descriptions of caskets and urns referred to in Section 32A of the Act must be for a minimum of 6 adult caskets and 6 urns of different grades and prices, including the least expensive options on offer, as required by Section 32A of the Act.
(2) The catalogue descriptions of the items in subsection (1) must include all of the following for each item in the catalogue:
- (a) the price;
(b) a colour image of the item;
(c) sufficient detail to allow a purchaser to identify the size of the item;
(d) the brand name, manufacturer’s name and model name and number of the item;
(e) for caskets,
(i) the material and colour of the interior, and
(ii) the material, colour and finish of the exterior;
(f) a clear indication of whether the item is suitable for cremation.
New Brunswick Regulations
Embalmers, Funeral Directors and Funeral Providers Act
Summary: Legislation in New Brunswick requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers upon request. New Brunswick does not have any legislation requiring funeral homes to accept merchandise supplied by third parties.
19(1) A licensee shall, on receiving a telephone inquiry respecting the supply of funeral services, give accurate information respecting the nature and price of the various forms of funeral services the licensee offers.
19(2) If quoting a price under subsection (1) for funeral services, the licensee shall state specifically what goods and services are included in that price.
23(1) A licensed Funeral Provider or Funeral Director carrying on a business in New Brunswick shall, at each location of business, have a room or area for the display of caskets and containers for examination by the public and shall include in the display the licensee’s lowest priced casket and container.
23(2) The licensee shall have available for examination by the public a book, brochure or other advertisement or literature illustrative of the entire product line of caskets the licensee offers for sale.
24 A licensee shall
- (a) keep a current price list of all goods and services offered for sale;
- (b) display the current price list in a conspicuous place on the premises that is accessible to members of the public and provide a copy of it to a consumer on request; and
- (c) file the current price list, and any amendment to that price list, with the Registrar.
Newfoundland and Labrador Regulations
Embalmers and Funeral Directors Regulations
Prepaid Funeral Services Regulations
Summary: Newfoundland and Labrador does not have any legislation which requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers, or to accept caskets / containers provided by third parties.
Prince Edward Island Regulations
Funeral Services and Professions Act General Regulations
Funeral Services and Professions Act
Summary: Prince Edward Island does not have any legislation which requires funeral homes to make detailed price lists available to consumers, or to accept caskets / containers provided by third parties.