Frequently Asked Questions

The funeral director's job is to assist the bereaved in various ways to help them through the loss of a loved one. A funeral director provides bereavement and consolation services for the living, in addition to making arrangements for the cremation, burial, and memorial services for the deceased. He fulfills the role of funeral arranger, funeral director, funeral attendant, and embalmer.

The following list is not all-inclusive, but describes some of the major tasks of a funeral director:

Removal and transfer of the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home

Professional care of the deceased, including embalming, casketing, and cosmetology

Consulting with family to make arrangements for the funeral service

Filing certificates, permits, and other required forms.

Obtaining copies of the death certificate

Arrangements with the cemetery, crematory, or other places of final disposition

Creates and publishes the obituary

Arrangements for clergy, music, flowers, transportation, pallbearers, and special fraternal or military services

Directs and manages the funeral service and the funeral procession

Assists the family with death-related claims, including  grief counseling

A traditional funeral involves a number of services which add to the total cost. Besides a non-declinable basic services fee, other charges may include removal/transfer of the body to the funeral home; embalming; other preparation of the body; use of facilities and staff for viewing; use of facilities and staff for the funeral ceremony; use of a hearse, service car, or van; a basic memorial printed package; metal casket, a vault or grave liner, and purchase of a cemetery plot.

A funeral or memorial service provides an opportunity for the living to show respect for the deceased and pay tribute to their life. It provides a framework to freely and openly express our beliefs, feelings, and thoughts about the death of our loved one. It gives us permission to grieve our loss, share in solidarity, and gain strength from others who are experiencing the same loss.

The four main types of funeral services include the traditional funeral service, the memorial service, the committal service, and the affirmation or celebration of life service.

Yes, cremation or burial is merely the disposition of the body. Funeral services are to honor and remember your loved one, regardless of disposition.

Pre-arranging funeral services can be done regardless of the final disposition. Pre-arranging is simply recording your wishes with the funeral home and prefunding if you choose to do so.

• Advance Directives - If the deceased left any written advance directives concerning the disposition of his remains and memorialization, you need to bring them with you. These instructions may be found in a will, or there may be a formally witnessed disposition directive, funeral pre-arrangements, or a pre-need contract.
• Details on any cemetery property owned by the deceased or the family (grave plot, columbarium space, etc.)
• Recent photograph of the deceased and any personal effects that you wish to be included in the viewing or burial
• Specific information on the deceased:
• Full legal name
• Address
• Marital status
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Educational history (number of years of schooling)
• Occupation or profession
• Parent's names, including mother's maiden name
• Next of kin and other survivors

Steps to Notify Credit Bureau of a Loved One’s Passing to avoid identity theft and potential delays in the estate settlement process:

If a you are a client of Saskatoon Funeral Home, simply provide your funeral director with your loved one’s SIN and request our Estate Guard service, at no extra charge.  We take care of the notification through our partnerships with Transunion and Equifax. 

Or To make the notification yourself to Equifax and TransUnion, because the request isn’t coming direct from a funeral home, you will need identification and supporting documentation and follow these steps: 

Equifax: https://www.equifax.ca/personal/education/life-stages/articles/-/learn/credit-steps-to-take-after-relative-death/ 

 1. Collect all information and documents:

• The deceased person’s legal name

• The deceased  person’s Social Insurance Number (optional)

• The deceased person’s address

• The deceased  person’s date of birth and date of death

• Copy of the Death Certificate or Act of Death

• Copy of the deceased’s will identifying you as the Executor of the Estate / Designation of administrator of the estate

• Court document or probate as evidence of a valid will (e.g. Order of Probate, Order of Verification, Judgment of Probate, Judgment of Verification). In Quebec: you will need a copy of the will which must be probated. If it is a will executed before a notary in Quebec: the court document or probate is not required

• Copy of two pieces of government-issued ID (front and back) that shows your name, date of birth, and current address

• Copy of one document confirming your name and address on the ID (e.g., utility bill or tax document) 

2. Complete a Death Notice Form: You may submit the required information to Equifax online or by mail. You can download a Death Notice Form here by clicking “Start Your Dispute.” Select “Start Electronic Dispute” to complete the request online or “Start Mail Dispute” to download the form and mail it to us with the supporting documents.

Once you select the method, you’ll be asked to choose which part of your Equifax credit report you want to update. In this situation, you are updating the deceased person’s credit report on their behalf. Select “Death Notice” and follow the instructions. When completing the form, you can also select “Request a copy of the deceased’s credit file” to receive a copy of the credit report to review (see step 3).

If you’re submitting the form online, follow the instructions through the website. If you’re mailing the request, send the completed form with copies of all the supporting documents by certified mail to:

Equifax Canada Co.

National Consumer Relations

Box 190

Montreal, Quebec H1S 2Z2

TransUnion:  https://www.transunion.ca/customer-support/faq 

A. In order to release personal information on a deceased person, TransUnion requires a copy of the Death certificate or the will/certificate of appointment, stating that this person is the next of kin or executor/executrix. The request must also include two pieces of the identification of the next of kin or executor/executrix requesting the file as well as one piece of identification for the deceased that verifies address. If the deceased address is noted on the Death Certificate, TransUnion will accept it as viable address verification for the deceased. Additonally, if the appropriate information has been given, the file will be processed and sent to the executor’s/next of kin’s address. If the Death Certificate has a Social Insurance Number (“SIN”), the SIN will be added to a High Risk Fraud Alert database to indicate that the SIN is deceased. The SIN number will remain in a protective state indefinitely and a note will also be placed onto the credit report to indicate that the consumer is deceased.

Note: If there is more than one appointee, TransUnion requires identification for each executor/executrix to process the request unless they receive an additional letter of direction that the executor/ executrix can act separately.