Final Arrangements

10 Final Arrangements Manitoba's bereavement legislation under review By Mark Halsall I n the provincial government's most recent speech from the throne, it was announced there would be a review of The Funeral Directors and Embalmers Act, The Cemeter- ies Act and The Prearranged Funeral Services Act. Public con- sultations, which started May 8 and will continue until July 1, is the first step in this process. A government spokesperson says: "This review is being under- taken to ensure funeral, burial and bereavement legislation is more responsive to the diverse needs of Manitobans, and any changes brought about as a result of this review will support those efforts." According to the spokesperson, the review is important be- cause "sections of the current legislation are outdated, difficult to monitor and/or [are] applied inconsistently across different sectors of the industry. In addition, technological advances and emerging trends such as alkaline hydrolysis or green burials are not included in existing legislation. "The review provides opportunities to identify sections where provisions can be harmonized, the language can be modern- ized, consumer protections can be strengthened, and red tape can be reduced, resulting in a consistent regulatory and com- pliance framework." Comments collected during the pubic consultation period set by the Funeral Board of Manitoba may be used to inform changes to existing legislative, regulatory, program and pol- icy frameworks. Those interested in participating in the consultations can complete a questionnaire, which solicits feedback in the following areas: • Licensing and education • Monitoring compliance and undertaking enforcement • Cemeteries, crematoriums and burial sites • Consumer protection • Pre-arranged plans • Trusts Feedback can be also provided by registering for in-person sessions scheduled to take place at these locations and dates: • June 12 in Opaskwayak Cree Nation • June 19 in Winnipeg The questionnaire and registration details for the in-person sessions are both available at www.gov.mb.ca/ funeraldirectorsboard/consultations.html. Kevin Sweryd, funeral director and president of Bardal Funeral Home and Crematorium in Winnipeg, is a director for the Manitoba Fu- neral Services Association and also sits on the legislative committee of the Funeral Board of Manitoba. He believes the province's bereave- ment legislation is due for a tune-up. "I can't speak to the industry, but I am certainly in favor of a review like this," Sweryd says. "It's certainly time to clean up the legislation. There's a lot of stuff in there that's been in ef- fect since the 1950s and is barely applicable anymore." Sweryd is hopeful that the review will bring about changes that reduce complexity, eliminate back- logs and provide more clarity around things like how to go about scattering cremated remains. "The cemeteries, pre-arrangements, and funeral service acts, even though those are all very closely related, have all been dealt with very dif- ferently under three different sets of legislation," he says. "If we can bring those together, then there might be ways to reduce complexity and just make it easier to serve families at a time that's already difficult." The Funeral Board of Manitoba, the regulatory body which oversees the province's funeral industry, is collecting public feedback on ways to strengthen Manitoba's bereavement legislation. A review of the province's bereavement legislation is currently underway and is looking at all aspects of the funeral industry including how consumer protection can be strengthened and red tape reduced.

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