Final Arrangements

2016

The Manitoba Home Builders' Association is celebrating 75 years.

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4 ❖ JUNE 2016 A R R A N G E M E N T S "Honouring Life" SOBERING Funeral Chapel & Crematorium Serving Beausejour & Northeastern Manitoba On-Call 24 Hours On-Site State of the Art Crematorium 268-3510 or MB Toll Free 1-877-776-2220 www.soberingfuneralchapel.com CANADIAN INDEPENDENT 412 Wardlaw Avenue, Winnipeg MB, R3L 0L7 Telephone: 453-6416 Fascimile: 477-1379 www.vlehmanlawoffices.com VICTORIA E. LEHMAN LAW OFFICES Providing personal, effective representation and conflict resolution services since 1982. Family, Divorce, Wills and Estates, General Practice By Jennifer McFee for the Free Press W hen it comes to end-of-life options, cremation continues to gain popularity as the public's top preference. According to estimates provided by the Cremation Association of North America, the majority of North Americans will choose cremation over burial for end-of-life services by 2025. Michael Gibbens, president of the Manitoba Funeral Service Association, sees similar trends taking place close to home. "We're sitting around 75 per cent of people who are choosing cremation in Winnipeg, Manitoba and across Canada," says Gibbens, who is also the general manager of Dignity Memorial. "Depending on the clientele that they're serving, there are still some funeral homes where the numbers aren't quite as high, but almost all funeral homes are 50 per cent or higher on cremation." Going forward, he expects that cremation will continue to gain popularity for several reasons. "Traditions are changing for folks. Cremation allows an opportunity for more personalization than a standard casket burial. You can take cremated remains and do many different things with them now. There is no set expectation. Many people have cremated remains of their loved one at home on their mantle," Gibbens says. "You can send cremated remains to the moon or you can have the remains turned into a diamond. If the individual was a hunter, you can put them into a shotgun shell and have them scattered. You can take them down to Mexico and scatter them if that was your favourite holiday space." Different religions are becoming more accepting of the practice of cremation, whereas they might have been more restrictive in the past. Cost is another major factor in the decision- making process for many families. "The real difference in cost between a cremation and a burial service is the cost of the container that the individuals are put into," Gibbens says. CREMATION RATES CONTINUE TO RISE Richard Wojcik says the shift towards cremation is due in part to changes in family dynamics over the past couple of generations.

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