Consumer Help
The Canadian Funeral Consumer Association web page content is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for medical or legal advice.
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Death is unavoidable but talking about it, preparing for it doesn’t have to be taboo or frightening. Palliative care and hospice physician Monisha Pujari has helped countless terminally ill patients transition out of life with dignity. In this thoughtfully tender talk, she offers stories that reframe how we think about life, love and reconciliation.
The Cemetery and Funeral Services Act establishes the legal framework for the operation of cemeteries and funeral plans for consumers who have pre-arranged and pre-paid their funerals.
The Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act also creates the authority for the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors (the Board). The Boar Buying Funeral Services in Nova Scotia
The funeral industry in Nova Scotia is governed by three pieces of legislation that fall under the administration of Service Nova Scotia; the Vital Statistics Act, the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act, and the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act.
The Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act establishes the regulatory framework for the operation and licensing of funeral homes and crematorium.
d is a self-regulating body that licences and regulates funeral professionals and has authority over the professional activities of funeral directors and embalmers.
If a funeral home or crematorium is found to be conducting fraudulent activities in the province, Service Nova Scotia can act under either the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act or the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act to suspend or cancel the license of a funeral home or crematorium. If the fraud is related to pre-arranged funerals that hold funds in a trust account, Service Nova Scotia may be able to provide compensation under specific conditions as described under the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act. They may also refer the fraud to law enforcement.
If a funeral director or an embalmer is found to be conducting fraudulent activities in the province, The Board can act under the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act to suspend or cancel the license of these individual funeral professionals. They may also refer the fraud to law enforcement.
With the exception of trust fund fraud, it is generally up to the consumer to sue the offender at his or her expense.
Neither Service Nova Scotia nor the Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors has the authority to sue or levy fines against people who offer funeral services eg. transportation of a body, without a licence.
To file a funeral related complaint go to:
https://www.novascotia.ca/make-complaint-about-business]
For funeral questions (other than complaints), you may email: Reglicensing@novascotia.ca .
The Nova Scotia government offers online funeral service purchase guidelines in a document titled, “Know Your Rights”. Reading this document will empower you to ask the right questions when you shop for funeral services. Knowing what to ask will save you time and unexpected expenses. For a comprehensive guide to making your final arrangements, please see our page titled: Final Arrangements – Preparing For End Of Life, which includes links to “Know Your Rights” and other end of life government resources),
Two more things to consider:
Firstly: The internet is a gold mine for scammers who defraud consumers. Beware of funeral industry scammers in Nova Scotia who seem to offer services on behalf of the provincial government. The Nova Scotia government offers all funeral related resource information free of charge. There are no download fees. A Nova Scotia government department will not send you unsolicited e-mails advertising funeral services or funeral rights.
Secondly: In the event that you are unable to afford to pay funeral expenses for a loved one, you may apply for a $3,800.00 benefit from Nova Scotia Income Assistance. You may apply as a spouse or partner, a parent (if you have lost a child), or as the executor of their estate or another family member.
NOTE: Income Assistance will not reimburse you for costs that were paid before you applied.
