Co-op funeral homes: A simpler, more affordable burial
While some Canadian funeral homes are getting fancier and more sophisticated by the day, in the Maritimes the emergence of funeral co-operatives reflects a shift back to a simpler approach, particularly in rural areas. In Cape Breton, the Sunset Funeral Co-operative is putting the final touches on its facilities before opening later this year. Since the co-op was incorporated in 2004, it has raised $60,000 and attracted 443 members from 27 sponsoring congregations in and around Inverness and Victoria counties. Greg Nearing, president of the board of directors, said the co-op was founded to lower prices and provide a more personalized service. "There are several other funeral businesses in the area. Some of them belong to multinational companies. We felt the cost of the service, plus the dignity of the service, needed some improvement," Mr. Nearing said.
A survey of funeral pricing in Nova Scotia showed wide variations, with most funeral home websites indicating fees are based on the services deemed important to the mourning family. Variations aside, a cremation without a service was $1,960 at the three Atlantic Funeral Homes locations in Halifax, $1,299 at Donald K. Walker Funeral Directors in Dartmouth and $2,500 at the Arimathea Funeral Co-operative in Upper Musquodoboit, though members receive a $250 discount. A traditional funeral with casket and service was $5,424 at Atlantic Funeral Homes, $3,949 at Donald K. Walker’s and $3,750 at Arimathea ($250 member discount included).
The Sunset co-op is based on the Arimathea co-op. It was founded in 1993 and now boasts more than 1,100 members. In 2007 it hosted more than 70 funerals. "We’re very pleased," said Wanda Smith, co-op director. "We’re pretty proud of what we have." With the nearest funeral home 50 kilometres away, Arimathea was created to allow members to mourn in their own community. It provides a modest funeral service, relying on help from community members and churches. "You know everybody there with you," said Ms. Smith. "You’re in familiar surroundings. And if you ever need familiarity, it’s at that time."
Nova Scotia appears to be following a Maritime trend. There are now three funeral co-ops in the province, the third being the Annapolis Valley Funeral Home, which opened in November 2004 after more than a decade of discussion by residents who wanted greater price transparency. The modern facility in Coldbrook serves a growing population from Windsor to Digby. Most members are from the immediate area, but there are also shareholders across the province. The facility also serves non-members. Max Lockhart, the Valley firm’s funeral director, said caring for others and concern for the community is at the heart of everything it does. "Because we are member driven, our prices are not profit motivated, making the cost of a funeral much more manageable."
Donald Walker of Donald K. Walker Funeral Directors said his service is as reasonably priced as that of any co-op. He believes co-ops only work when there is a need, such as in less populated areas where there is a lack of competition to keep prices down. While serving smaller communities was a motivation behind the co-op, Mr. Lockhart counters there is a place for funeral co-ops in both big and small markets. "There is strong competition from established funeral homes in the area but people are seeing the need for us. We can give them professional, dignified care and service at an affordable cost."
Prince Edward Island had the first funeral co-op in the Maritimes. The West Prince Funeral Co-operative began in 1985 under the guidance of Rev. Eloi Arsenault. "People are very co-operative-minded," Father Arsenault said of Islanders. "People had to come together and be inventive and innovative and create their own services." There are now seven funeral co-ops on P.E.I.
Father Arsenault moved to the Island from Quebec, where he had seen the benefits of funeral co-ops. He was inspired to bring the idea to P.E.I. after a conversation with a local funeral director. "He was telling me they were putting the spotlight on this one (casket) and that one to make it a bestseller. He was telling me all kinds of stories about what the funeral directors would do to get people to buy certain types of caskets. . . . I thought, ‘This is outrageous.’ Because people are vulnerable, it’s not the time to use them to make money off them." Father Arsenault calculated that funeral homes were making a 500 per cent profit on caskets. But getting his co-op off the ground was not without challenges. Father Arsenault said the P.E.I. Funeral Home and Embalmers Association tried various tactics to get the co-op to stop. He said it accused the co-op of using caskets that leaked air and also took the co-op to court, questioning the licensing of its second embalmer. The association even wrote to the casket companies, threatening to withdraw business if they sold caskets to the co-op. In response to that, Father Arsenault contacted friends in Quebec. With the support of the 96 funeral co-ops there, the casket companies were quick to side with the P.E.I. co-op.
Father Arsenault went on to help create 11 funeral co-ops throughout the Maritimes. He still believes there is a place for commercial funeral homes but says co-ops provide much-needed competition to keep prices down and offer a simpler burial. "Why are we putting a person who has died in a big Cadillac limousine while this person on earth couldn’t even afford a little car?" he said.
(used with permission of the author: Mark Bolton) |
