this post was submitted on 19 May 2024
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In Canada, bodies go unclaimed as costs put funerals out of reach (www.reuters.com)
submitted 5 months ago by girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca
27 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Some Canadian provinces have logged a jump in unclaimed dead bodies in recent years, with next of kin citing funeral costs as a growing reason for not collecting loved ones' remains.

The phenomenon has prompted at least one province to build a new storage facility. Demand for memorial fundraisers has surged. The overall cost of a funeral in Canada at the top end has increased to about $8,800 from about $6,000 in 1998, according to industry trade group estimates.

Now, in the wake of an uproar over unclaimed bodies kept in freezers outside the (Health Sciences Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador), the province is constructing a permanent storage unit to hold remains.

"People weren't claiming bodies because they realized they couldn't afford to bury them," said Jim Dinn, leader of the province's opposition New Democratic Party. "It's not about building a bigger storage unit: It's about addressing the underlying cause causing the accumulation of bodies and removing the barriers so people can have a dignified burial."

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[โ€“] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I'm not a finance expert but I feel like in the long run it'd be cheaper to raise the death benefit or subsidize cremation services than to build dead body storage facilities all over the country.

[โ€“] kevincox@lemmy.ml 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah seriously, everybody dies (for now at least) let's just provide basic disposal for bodies as a government service. If you want to have a funeral or other celebration you are welcome too and if you want a "fancier" disposal (like burying in a cemetery) you can pay for that. But it seems like basic disposal should be provided.

[โ€“] Unlikelyvillain@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This is what I donโ€™t understand about the business. Itโ€™s a guaranteed income. There will always be dead people. Why tf do they have to charge so damn much?? They will still be pretty rich and have a guaranteed income I think. Itโ€™s extortion imho.

[โ€“] Dearche@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago

I have a strong suspicion that this won't be a guaranteed income in the near future. There's already human testing for life extension treatments, so it won't be a surprise that in twenty years, we'll see a serious decline of profits both for funeral homes and in elderly care facilities making them both rarities.

That said, I do think that cremation or something similar should be a subsidized if not a free government service. Being charged an arm for dealing with a tragedy is just plain exploitation and there should be alternatives for those who aren't in the best positions. There's already so much paperwork and other things people have to deal with, it's a wonder that this hasn't been a major public issue for decades now.

[โ€“] Aux@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

It will be more profitable to throw dead bodies into industrial composters and generate energy which can then be sold for a sweet profit.