Ferguson Funeral Home was the sole funeral services operator in Prince Rupert. It closed in 2021 after its licensed embalmer and funeral director, Jim Ferguson, passed away following 45 years of service to the community.
Since then Prince Rupert residents have relied on services from Terrace, 150 kilometres away, leaving families sometimes waiting overnight for up to16 hours for help after the passing of a loved one.
"It's been a number of years now, and still, nothing new has come up, which is concerning," said Sheril Ferguson, Jim's wife.
"The biggest part is hiring licensed staff. Just like with doctors and other professions, it's hard to get them to locate to the north. They have so many options open to them in better climates, better facilities, better education services, all of that."
Ferguson’s handled transportation, removal, attendance to the deceased, embalming, preparation for viewings, transport to services, international body transport, transportation to and from the crematorium, and burials.
"I really feel for those families that have had no directors," said Sheril. "Unfortunately, we just were not able to find anybody to fill Jim's shoes. There just wasn't anyone that was willing to relocate here. So that's the bottom line, which forced me to make the decision to sell the building."
Sheril has observed the funeral industry for decades and has noticed that it doesn't attract many outsiders. Many funeral director embalmers come from family members who had done the job before them and passed it on.
She suggests there should be a fast-paced program like nursing, which doesn't diminish the quality but gives people more accessible access to get into the industry, especially in remote communities.
LICENSING PROCESS
Funeral director and embalmer Stephen Logan manages Oliver's Funeral Home in Grand Prairie, Alberta and previously served as a pastor for 10 years. Oliver's has three funeral businesses in Alberta and two in B.C. Logan has worked in B.C. a few times when the B.C. locations were understaffed.
"The schooling is actually pretty tough, and it's even tougher in B.C., they make you jump through quite a lot of hoops," said Logan.
In Alberta, students must complete 1,800 hours of funeral services experience to obtain their licence, while in B.C., it is 3,600 hours. The course has university-level microbiology, chemistry, and anatomy. Additionally, a prospective director needs to complete 50 embalmments, as well as, about 30 graveside/family arrangements.
He says it is impossible to complete these unless a funeral home has already hired you to work for them.
"These are actual university-level courses, but you have to work full-time when you're doing it," he added.
He says it can get overwhelming for many.
Stephen was a pastor and got into the job on the advice of his friend, who already owned a funeral home. But he says outsiders are not easily attracted to it, and it's not a high-paying job for most.
"It's hard to attract people...and some people are just, they get creeped out by bodies. It's not for them," he said.
COSTS
"You need a lot of capital to start a funeral home," said Logan. He says this might be a big reason why more people aren't opening businesses in remote towns. After all, the funeral industry is a private sector industry.
Setting up a funeral home with a chapel can cost upward of $100,000, and adding a basic crematorium unit can cost around $250,000. Adapting the building to meet regulations and codes adds to the expense, and installing a lowering device for caskets can cost around $5,000. Add in the land and building and, In total, establishing a funeral home can cost millions of dollars.
Logan says people might also feel intimidated to open their practice because there is often a need for a deep personal connection with clients in the funeral business. For example, a son's family may prefer to have him buried by the same director who took care of his father's funeral.
He said people may also hesitate to enter the profession because of the high pressure to be perfect immediately. Like wedding planners, funeral directors can't afford to make mistakes in a graveside service that will be remembered forever by vulnerable families and attendees.
Many major corporations are now purchasing and operating funeral homes, such as Service Corporation International, which owns more than 800 homes. He says it results in workers losing their individuality and personal touch, as they must adhere to strict universal rules, such as wearing a uniform daily.
Logan’s funeral home implemented the method of paying for school for some candidates, who guaranteed to work with them afterward to address staff shortages.
This is the second instalment of a special report examining the state of deathcare in Prince Rupert. In Part 1 we looked at the problem as seen through the experiences of residents of a town that currently has no local funeral services. In Part 3, we will look at potential solutions and what is being done both locally to address the problem and elsewhere to alleviate similar situations.
