The Memorial Society of BC, incorporated October 12, 1956, is a non-profit and volunteer driven Society. Fifty-five people who met in a church hall in Vancouver initiated it, and its current membership of 207,000 makes it the largest memorial society in North America.
Purposes of the Memorial Society
- To assist members in advance of death for the disposition of their remains;
- To assist and support the bereaved in making death arrangements;
- To promote environmentally sound arrangements for disposal of remains;
- To ensure the availability of affordable funeral arrangements through written contracts with selected funeral services providers and to monitor the practices and performance of funeral services providers;
- To engage in educational and public awareness programs in support of these purposes;
- To promote the continuance of a dynamic and responsible society.
The Memorial Society’s vision and persistent work on behalf of its members has meant that BC has the lowest cost of funerals in North America. Staff and Society volunteers assist members to prepare final arrangements in advance, keep records of members’ wishes, and help members to cope when a death occurs in a family. The lifetime membership fee of $30 enables the membership access to its contracted prices with its providers and the services of the Society’s staff and office resources.
About the Memorial Society
- Directors and employees have no vested interest in goods or services provided by the funeral industry
- Directors and employees are not employed by the funeral industry
- Directors and employees do not receive commissions on referrals made to the funeral industry
- The Memorial Society neither makes nor initiates calls to arrange a home visit to update members’ information. (This is an unethical tactic used to open the door to illegal sales of funeral goods and services.)
- The Memorial Society of British Columbia is not owned by a multi-national funeral corporation.
In the future, the Memorial Society intends to broaden its involvement by engaging the larger society to examine cultural, ethical and environmental issues concerning funeral practices.
Contact
Nicole Renwick, Executive Director
Memorial Society of British Columbia
205 – 640 West Broadway
Vancouver BC V5Z 1G4
Phone:604-733-7705 or 1-888-816-5902
Fax: 604-733-7730 or 1-888-816-5903
e-mail. nicole@memsoc.org