Now that Nova Scotia has entered Phase 5 of its COVID-19 reopening plan, there are no limits to the number of people who can attend funerals, weddings or special events hosted by a business or organization.
HALIFAX A Nova Scotia funeral home has gone public with an unusual problem: unclaimed cremated remains. Some of the ashes have been sitting for nearly half a century, and the funeral home owner says it s time they were laid to rest. “It’s not right to have people here that should be with their families or buried in a family plot with their spouse, significant other, brother, sister parents - whatever the case may be,” Bruce Varner, owner and managing director of Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home in Truro, told CTV News. Varner posted a list of unclaimed remains on the company website and Facebook page in early May and has been making contact with several families who’ve come to claim them.
Posted: Apr 17, 2021 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: April 17
Funeral directors say changes around technology and flow around funeral homes are likely here to stay, and will serve Nova Scotians better.(Ben Nelms/CBC)
Funeral directors in Nova Scotia have had a year of trying to comfort families with just their eyes, and bringing loved ones from around the world together virtually.
Although it s been difficult, those in the industry say many of the changes have been for the better and will allow more flexibility and safety even after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. Normally for Maritimers, we come together, we hug, we cry, we talk, we tell stories and we eat. We removed all that, said Dwayne Isenor, the location manager for Cruikshanks Funeral Home in Halifax.