The cost of dying in Saskatchewan

When families lose a loved one, making decisions is filled with emotion and now, increasing costs are making those choices all the more difficult.

With funeral arrangements running upwards of $20,000, people are finding it harder and harder to afford an end-of-life ceremony.

“A full-service funeral with a casket and buying a new cemetery plot and a luncheon, sometimes those funerals can be upwards of $15,000 to $20,000,” said Morgan Edwards, president of Saskatoon Funeral Home.

To cut costs, people are finding unique alternatives to celebrate their life, with DIY funerals becoming increasingly popular. Cindi McAuley-Michaud, a doula, works with families to make their end of life plans a reality through her business Love’s Final Journey.

McAuley-Michaud also helps people come up with lower cost to honour their loved ones — from planting them in a tree, to assisting those at the end of their life to write cards for future holidays they may miss.

“Maybe grandma has that special recipe that she’s never really shared with anybody, maybe she wants me to video her recipe, her making that special dish and give it to her to grandkids,” says McAuley-Michaud.

For those with no extra funds to spend, the Prairie Hospice Society provides people with supported quality of life in their final days by assisting around 130 people per month for free.

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“Some of the things we can provide these individuals in the community is we can provide rides. So sometimes it is getting to that appointment, having that friendly voice to talk to when you get in the car or out of the car after an appointment,” explains Kristi Chisholm, executive director for the Prairie Hospice Society.

“Maybe it is getting into the library to pick up some more audio books because you are a bit isolated. Maybe it’s just having that friendly voice talking about what they want to do next. Maybe those bucket list items. Or maybe it’s to just focus on something and not about dying.”

When talking to experts on the subject, every person said planning ahead, if possible, is the best way to have your celebration of life to be exactly what you want it to be.

Watch the video above to find out more.

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