5th 'By My Own Heart and Hand'
(basics in home funerals) workshop
Peachland, BC May 27-28
CINDEA and Journeying Beyond co-sponsored a “
By My Own Heart and Hand — basics in home funerals” workshop in Peachland, BC on May 27 and 28, 2016. The event included an evening showing of “A Family Undertaking” and discussion, and a full-day workshop the next day — which included ‘hands on’ practice in post-death care, and a review of both the required Canadian paperwork and the general timeline of ‘what is done when’.
The group was small -- including a nurse and a doctor -- but very enthusiastic. Our thanks to the Peachland organizers who are themselves preparing to offer DWENA services in their area.
(washing the back -- from September 2014 workshop)
sorry, no photos of Peachland yet
This introductory workshop is primarily intended to help families in preparing for, and planning, a home funeral. However, it was also an opportunity for other alternative death-care practitioners to better understand the basics of a home funeral, as it might relate to the experience of their future clients — as well as being the practicum for other DWENA practitioner training programs. Contact Pashta at
contact@cindea.ca or phone
250-383-4065 for further information.
(shrouding the body -- from the Powell River January 2016 workshop)
Links to CINDEA on Other Sites
CINDEA listed now as a resource on the
BC Interior Health website under "Alternative approaches to death and after death care".
It has also been listing on the
Imperial Evergreen Casket Company's website (both in their
Resource page, and in a short overview on their
blog page), and we are working on building a working relationship with them in terms of caskets available to families doing home funerals.
Significant Canadian News
On Friday, June 17th, MAID (medical aid in dying) legislation has been passed and given 'royal assent' — unfortunately the bill was much more restrictive that many Canadians wanted. Both the Senate and House of Commons has committed to revisiting the bill in two years, in order to address the three major unresolved issues (advance consent, those with mental illnesses, and mature minors).
Interpretation of bill C-14 are available at the Healthy Canadians (Canadian government) website.
There is already a new BC court case, which is challenging the restrictions in bill C-14, lead by the BC Civil Liberties Association (see article and videos) and involving Julia Lamb; and a GoFundMe campaign that you can contribute to.
Second Alkaline Hydrolysis 'final disposition' option in Canada in Smith Falls, Ontario A CBC news article reports that Smith Falls funeral home now has the license to used Alkaline Hydrolysis for final disposition. It carries only 1/6th of the carbon-footprint of cremation; and is a valid ecological option to green burials. The only other AH machine in Canada, in use for people, is in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (see article for more information).
NHFA Books available
The (US based) National Home Funeral Alliance now have
several books available - introductions and overviews to home funerals. Of course, some of the information is specific to the U.S,; but most of it is relevant to home funerals anywhere.
Although not listed the above list, "
Home Funeral Ceremonies" – written by Donna Belk (cofounder of NHFA, and Beyond Hospice training program) and Kateyanne Unullisi – is also available through
Sugar Skull Publishing. It would be particularly useful to those who don't have a lot of experience with ritual/ceremony.
Jerrigrace Lyons of
Final Passages is giving Level 1 through 3 for Institute of Traditional Medicine students September 17-18 and 22-25, 2016, Toronto, Ontario
