Where to Get Help for A Death in Your Family

Information about bereavement

BC Bereavement Helpline	A non-profit society that facilitates the care and support of the bereaved throughout BC.	Website: www.bcbereavementhelpline.com Phone: 604-738-9950 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-877-779-2223 Box 53530, 984 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K7
BC Children’s Hospital	Offers support services for parents on the death of a child.	Website: www.bcchildrens.ca Phone: 604-875-2345 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-888-300-3088 Email: FSRC@cw.bc.ca 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1

Information about burial and cremation

Consumer Protection BC	Responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act and the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act.	Website: www.consumerprotectionbc.ca Phone: 604-320-1667 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-888-564-9963 PO Box 9244, Victoria, BC V8W 9J2
Cemetery and Crematorium Association of BC	A non-profit provincial death-care association that provides information for cremation, cemetery and memorialization professionals.	Website: www.ccabc.org Phone: 604-866-7292 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-866-587-3213 Email: info@ccabc.org PO Box 10082, Aldergrove, BC V4W 3Z5
Funeral Service Association of BC	A non-profit association that provides general information about funeral services in BC. The section of their website “When Death Occurs,” has information about what to do first, how to contact the funeral home, and what to expect.	Website: www.bcfunerals.com Phone: 250-592-3213 (Victoria) Phone toll-free: 1-800-665-3899 Email: info@bcfunerals.com 211 – 2187 Oak Bay Avenue Victoria, BC V8R 1G1

Memorial societies

People’s Memorial Society of BC	A non-profit and locally-operated society that provides pre-arrangement, burial, cremation, memorial, funeral, and transfer services.	Website: www.peoplesmemorialsocietybc.com Phone toll-free: 1-800-661-3358 Email: info@peoplesmemorialsocietybc.com 505 Stn Main, Vernon BC V1T 9Z9
Memorial Society of BC	A non-profit organization that helps to plan funerals that are simple, dignified and affordable.	Website: www.memorialsocietybc.org Phone: 604-733-7705 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-888-816-5902 Email: mail@memsoc.org 205 - 640 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V5Z 1G4

Information about legal and medical matters

British Columbia Hospice Palliative Care Association	Provides leadership and support for its member organizations and individuals. Its goal is to ensure quality care for British Columbians faced with a life-threatening illness, death, and bereavement.	Website: www.bchpca.org Phone: 604-267-7024 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-877-410-6297 Email: office@bchpca.org 1100-1200 West 73rd Ave, Vancouver, BC V6P 6G5
Vital Statistics Agency	The British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency is responsible for the registration of births, marriages, and deaths in British Columbia. Offices are located in Victoria, Vancouver, and Kelowna.	Website: www.vs.gov.bc.ca Phone: 250-952-2681 (Victoria) Phone toll-free: 1-888-876-1633 PO Box 9657 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9P3
Coroners Service	The Coroners Service of British Columbia is responsible for the inquiry and investigation of all unnatural, unexpected, unexplained, or unattended deaths.	Website: www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/coroners Phone: 604-660-7745 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-7867 (Service BC) Email: CoronerRequest@gov.bc.ca Chief Coroner’s Office Metrotower II 800 – 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2
Public Guardians and Trustee Office	Administers estates of people in BC who die with or without a will when an executor, family member, or other eligible person either does not wish or is unable to carry out the administration of the estate.	Website: www.trustee.bc.ca Phone: 604-660-4444 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-7867 (Service BC) Email: mail@trustee.bc.ca 700 – 808 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3
British Columbia Transplant Society	BC Transplant directs, delivers, or contracts for all organ transplant services across BC.	Website: www.transplant.bc.ca Phone: 604-877-2240 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-6189 Email: BCTS_Webmaster@bcts.hnet.bc.ca 555 West 12th Avenue (West Tower), Vancouver, BC V5Z 3X7
Will and Estates: Attorney General	The Ministry of Attorney General website has information about wills and estates, including probate procedures.	Website: www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/1682
British Columbia Probate Kit, Self-Counsel Press	Provides step-by-step instructions of how to probate an estate and includes all the required forms on enclosed CD-ROM. This kit also contains administration forms, which you will need if no valid will is available.	Website: www.self-counsel.com You can also find Self-Counsel Press publications for sale in many bookstores and in your local public library.
Lawyer Referral Service	The Lawyer Referral Service enables members of the public to consult with a lawyer for up to 30 minutes for a fee of $25 plus taxes.	Website: www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1044 Phone: 604-687-3221 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-1919 Email: lawyerreferral@bccba.org
The Society of Notaries Public of BC	A notary public can provide assistance with notarizing death certificates and providing extensive information about wills and estates. Contact the Society office to obtain the name and telephone number of a notary public near you. Ask the notary public how much it will cost for the first meeting.	Website: www.notaries.bc.ca Phone: 604-681-4516 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-0343 Box 44, 1220 - 625 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2T6

Information about benefits

Service Canada	On the Service Canada website, the section “Following a Death” includes information about benefits available under the Canada Pension Plan.	Website: www.servicecanada.gc.ca Phone toll-free: 1-800-OCanada (1-800-622-6232) Phone toll-free TTY: 1-800-926-9105 (for hearing or speech impairment) PO Box 1177 Station CSC, Victoria BC V8W 2V2
Ministry of Social Development	When a person dies and there are no resources for funeral expenses, through either the individual’s estate or family, the Ministry of Social Development may help with these costs.	Website: www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/publicat/bcea/Funerals.htm Phone toll-free: 1-866-866-0800
The Crime Victim Assistance Program	Administered by the Victim Service Division of the BC Ministry of Justice. Immediate family members of an injured or deceased victim may be eligible for financial assistance and benefits including funeral expenses.	Website: www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/victimservices/financial/index.htm Phone: 604-660-3888 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-866-660-3888 Email: cvap@gov.bc.ca PO Box 5550 Station Terminal, Vancouver BC V6B 1H1
ICBC	Will provide no-fault accident benefits, including payment for the cost of funeral expenses or $2,500, whichever is less.	Website: www.icbc.com Phone: 604-661-2800 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-3051
The Last Post	Its primary mandate is to deliver the Veterans Affairs Canada Funeral and Burial Program which provides funeral, burial and grave marking benefits for eligible Canadian and allied veterans.	Website: www.lastpostfund.ca Phone: 604-572-3242 (Lower Mainland) Phone toll-free: 1-800-268-0248 Email: lpfinfowest@lastpost.ca 203 – 7337, 137th Street,Surrey, BC V3W 1A4
WorkSafeBC	Dedicated to promoting workplace health and safety for workers and employers in BC. “For Families: A Guide for Families Coping with a Work-Related Death or Terminal Illness” is a booklet available on their website.	Website: www.worksafebc.com

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by People's Law School, 2012.

A Death in Your Family © People's Law School is, except for the images, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.

The person responsible for carrying out the instructions in a will and wrapping up a deceased person's estate and debts. The lovely feminine form of the word is "executrix," though the masculine form is commonly applied to executrices and executors both. See "estate," "testator," and "will."

In law, all of the personal property and real property that a person owns or in which they have an interest, usually in connection with the prospect or event of the person's death.

The process of checking the validity of a will, distributing a dead person’s estate, and settling their debts according to the instructions set out in that person's will. See "estate" and "will."

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

A person authorized to administer affirmations and oaths, and to execute or certify documents. All lawyers are notaries public in addition to being barristers and solicitors. See "barrister and solicitor.”