Where to Get Help for A Death in Your Family
| BC Bereavement Helpline | A non-profit society that helps people in BC cope with grief. | Lower Mainland: 604-738-9950 Toll-free: 1-877-779-2223 |
| 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. |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 |
Information about bereavement[edit]
| 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) |
| 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) |
Information about burial and cremation[edit]
| 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) |
| 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) |
| BC Funeral Association | 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) |
Memorial societies[edit]
| 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) |
| 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 |
Information about legal and medical matters[edit]
| 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) |
| 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. |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 |
Information about benefits[edit]
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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. |
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 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.
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