Funeral Advisory Society of Hamilton and District: Homepage

Recommending:

Simplicity, dignity and moderate cost in funerals;
Advance arrangements to avoid unnecessary emotional stress at the time of death.

What Does the Funeral Advisory Society Do?

Provides information to acquaint the public with the alternatives available in funeral arrangements so that they are better prepared to choose appropriate services and understand the costs involved.
Makes agreements with cooperating funeral directors to provide members with two types of simple, inexpensive funeral.
Provides members with reference materials, including a list of the cooperating funeral directors, their current price list, three copies of pre-arrangement forms, a members' handbook and a vital information record.
Holds an annual public meeting each Spring, with a speaker on a topic of current interest.
Sends out an annual newsletter to update members on information and important issues.
Provides a telephone inquiry service staffed by volunteers in Hamilton and district.

What Is a Dignified and Modest Funeral?

The Society and cooperating funeral directors offer two basic plans:

Type A

The funeral directors remove the body to their premises, obtain the legal papers, provide a plain, unlined container or casket, and arrange for transportation to the cemetery or crematorium.

There is no embalming, no viewing, and no cars are provided for a procession.

Funeral or memorial services may be held at the crematorium, the gravesite, in a church or other location.

Type B

The funeral directors remove the body to their premises, obtain the legal papers, provide a plain casket placed closed in a reception room for visitors for one visitation period only, and a car for family and clergy.

As with Type A, there is no embalming or viewing of the body. Services may be held in a church or at the graveside. Use of the funeral home chapel may incur extra cost.

Crematory and cemetery charges are in addition to the charges of funeral directors.

Society members are not restricted in any way from selecting the funeral home and the type of funeral they prefer.

Prepayment is not a requirement of pre-arranging funeral plans.

About the Funeral Advisory Society

The Funeral Advisory Society of Hamilton and District is a non-profit, volunteer, consumer organization and a member of the Federation of Ontario Memorial Societies, which monitors government regulation of the funeral industry and how changes to it may affect consumers. It links members who relocate with memorial societies in other provinces and countries. The Society does not own or operate any funeral home, crematory, burial ground or grave marker business.

Newsletters

Newsletters are in Adobe portable document format (pdf). You need Adobe Reader installed on your computer to view and print them. This free utility can be downloaded from the Adobe Reader download site.

Spring 2009 (pdf, 4 pages, 41 KB)

Spring 2008 (pdf, 4 pages, 41 KB)

Spring 2007 (pdf, 4 pages, 45 KB)

Spring 2006 (pdf, 4 pages, 57 KB)

Spring 2005 (pdf, 4 pages, 30 KB)

Spring 2004 (pdf, 4 pages, 48 KB)

Spring 2003 (pdf, 4 pages, 324 KB)

Spring 2002 (pdf, 4 pages, 21 KB)

Contact Information

The Funeral Advisory Society of Hamilton & District
P. O. Box 89026
Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4R5

Telephone: 905-389-8240

Membership Application

Lifetime membership in the Funeral Advisory Society is $35.00. Should you move outside the Hamilton and District area, it is frequently possible to transfer your membership to another Funeral Advisory Society. The membership form (click on the link, below) is in Adobe portable document format (pdf). You need Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view and print it. This free utility can be downloaded from the Acrobat Reader download site.

Funeral Advisory Society Membership Application Form

Please print out the application form, fill it in and mail it to: