The recent state funeral to honour the former Federal Finance Minister Mr. Jim Flaherty, peaked my interest as to how a State Funeral is organized in Canada.
Under the asepsis of the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH), a state funeral is a public event, held to honour and commemorate present and former Governors Generals, Prime Ministers and sitting members of the Ministry. Also a state funeral may be offered to an eminent Canadian at the discretion of the Prime Minister. A State funeral offered, organized and executed by the Government of Canada – Governor General-in-Council, with the DCH as the lead agency, offers the public an opportunity to pay their respects to the deceased.
Every state funeral is complex and includes a lying-in-state, funeral procession, funeral service, final committal, and post-committal reception. Some of these events may be available to the public. The format of the event is decided by the family in consultation with various government departments, and members of the private sector. As you could imagine, a state funeral could be very large, distinct, and detailed, with the planning taking up to 6 days, as in the case of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau’ State Funeral. From a funeral directors view point the number of details and people connected to the smooth running of a state funeral would be immense. Very likely there were dozens of people involved and they would have rehearsed their timing and travel route many times before the day of the funeral. On the day of the funeral there would be many more people involved behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the funeral. Colleagues of mine, who have shared their experiences when they participated in state funerals, recall this as a privileged highlight of their career.
Lying-in-State is a term used to describe the ceremonial tradition whereby the decedent is on view, with a vigil. If it is decided that lying-in-state is appropriate, then this takes place on Parliament Hill, allowing official dignitaries and members of the public to pay their respects. The balance of the State Funeral may be held at other locations, as in the case of the late Mr. J. Flaherty.
While families may decline a State Funeral, the Government of Canada makes every effort to incorporate the family’s wishes and answer any questions they may have. State funerals may contain a religious, ceremonial, or military element and offer Canadians a dignified manner to honor the contribution of a national public figure.
What were your thoughts on the ceremony held for Mr. Flaherty? I welcome your feedback. Please leave a link back to your own blog too if you have one, via the commentluv feature here on the site.
Do you have questions about state funerals or funeral planning in general? You can connect with me via email or telephone, leave a comment right here on the site or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website.
Until next time,
Kat
Did you know Funeral Homes must provide you with a current price list that describes all the goods and service they offer and that this price list must be provided without cost or obligation? And, by law, all funeral homes must follow the same format in their price list. This assists the consumer to be able to compare and contrast the prices and selections fairly. However for many people the price list can still be confusing. The best way to directly compare cost, is to shop around ahead of time and work with the funeral home and licensed funeral director you are most comfortable with. Here are 9 ways to ensure you get the full value from your funeral plan.
In December 2013, there were about 1.4 million unclaimed balances worth approximately $532 million dollars on the books with the Bank of Canada*. Unclaimed balances on deposit with the Bank of Canada include Canadian dollar deposits of a negotiable instrument issued or held by the federally regulated banks and trust companies. These funds can be in the form of a deposit account, bank draft, certified cheque, deposit receipts, money order, GIC, term deposit, credit card balance, or traveller’s cheque. Have you ever wondered if you have a dormant bank account?
My Father always said not to worry there is lots of life insurance. However when he died and I was helping my mom to close the estate, we could not find any life insurance policy. We looked in all the obvious places; safety deposit box, and important files at home, finding nothing. For all these years Dad had indicated that there was a fair amount of life insurance implying around $300,000.00. This is a lot of money and would make a tremendous difference for my mom. What can we do about locating missing life insurance policies?
I only want cremation so I don’t need a funeral home, right?
In the Toronto Star February 8, 2014 article by Bob Aaron, he suggests an “offbeat gift suggestion for Valentine’s Day this week. This year, he suggests preparing a Will and POA for Property and Personal care as an “expression of love, caring and compassion.” I would add one more item to this list – prepare a prepaid funeral plan. 
Tissue donors set a record in 2013. In the Tuesday February 4, 2014 edition of the Toronto Star, Barbara Turnbull reported on 
Clients have asked me, what is embalming and does a body have to be embalmed? The answer is yes and no and it depends. I thought it would be helpful to define it and outline some parameters under which embalming is authorized or required.
Last week I worked with two adult daughters who want to send their mother’s cremated remains back to Poland.
The role and responsibilities of The Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT), under the auspices of the Ministry of the Attorney General – Family Justice Services Division in Ontario, are to safeguard the legal, personal and financial interest of private individuals and estates. The focus here is on the private individual.