http://www.canadianfuneraldirector.com/

Canadian Funeral Director, 6546 Bethesda Road, Tyrone, ON (2025)

11/01/2025

CFD Employment Opportunity

Funeral Directors Assistant
Westminster Funeral & Reception Centre
(October 31, 2025)

Job Details
Description
Why Work for Westminister Funeral and Reception Centre?
Service
• At ever level, our dedicated team members display a strong work ethic and commitment to our core values, respect for the family, the profession, and the individual.
• Work with leading experts in the funeral and cemetery profession.Culture
• We value honesty, courage, integrity, ethical behavior and the development of personal growth.
• We are rooted in the communities to provide a personal touch to every family we serve.
• We believe in the value of funeral and cemetery service, drawing on decades of experience to create the best experience for our families.

Essential Functions
• Ensures that the client families and/or other persons entering the office receives the information or assistance that they require.
• Assists the Team in the movement of the casketed deceased and other related items in and out of the visitation area, funeral home chapel, church or other place of service.
• Ensures that public spaces such as lobby, chapels, restrooms and reception/rest areas are clean and prepared prior to, and at the conclusion of, scheduled services.
• Assists in funeral services and visitation including greeting visitors, coordinating pallbearers and parking.
• Consistently punctual and arrives on or before scheduled shift.
• Works collaboratively with the funeral home manager and staff to ensure families are provided a high level of service and every aspect of client family care is done with the highest professional standards between funeral and cemetery services.
• Conduct activities such as transfers of the deceased from place of death (residence, nursing homes, hospitals, Coroner’s office, etc.) to our funeral home.
• Assist with the dressing and casketing of human remains, preparing for visitation and chapel services.
• Effectively complete business errands, conduct deliveries, drive funeral vehicles and other related activities associated with Westminster families’ needs as directed.
• Assist Funeral Directors in setting up flowers and various memorial tributes prior to, following or during funeral visitations/services.
• Aid in administrative functions as directed.
• Attend and assist Funeral Directors at interments, entombments, and cremation burials at various cemeteries.
• Other duties as assigned.

Competencies
• Communication Proficiency.
• Teamwork Orientation.
• Detail Orientation.
• Thoroughness
• Customer Service Orientation.
• Time Management.

Required Education, Experience, Certifications and Licensure
• Possess a valid driver’s license in good standing
• Must be able to lift a minimum of 30lbs and occasionally lift in excess of 80lbs
• Ability to multitask, prioritize and differentiate level of importance
• Must be able to work both indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions
• Must be able to handle emotional situations with professionalism and compassion
• Excellent attention to detail and high degree of accuracy
• Proficient using MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and funeral software

Additional Eligibility Qualifications
• Attend and perform work in a professional and courteous manner in accordance with the employer’s requirements.
• Able to read, write and speak English fluently. Bilingual is a plus.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal, as well as external customers, community leaders, and grieving client families.
• Ability to empathize with client families and their guests and demonstrate tact and patience in emotionally charged situations.
• Tactful and professional when dealing with complaints or dissatisfaction with services or merchandise.
• Maintains a positive attitude and working environment through organization and communication.
• Ability to simultaneously handle multiple projects, prioritizes tasks, and exercise good judgment.Physical Demands and Work Environment The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Equipment used to perform the essential function of this position includes, but is not limited to; computer, fax, copier, multi-line phone system, AV system, body lift, casket handling/transport devices, personal or company owned vehicle.
• Employees in this role are regularly required to climb, sit, stand, bend, kneel, and frequently lift to 25 pounds.
• This position may also require reaching, pushing, and pulling.
• This position may also be exposed to chemicals and/ or blood borne pathogens. Exposure risk is considered: Low

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Please submit resume to Jay Wilson jhwilson@plcorp.com

10/31/2025

FUNERAL HOME FOR SALE

10/10/2025

✨ Honouring the Leaders Who Shaped Our Path ✨

We were proud to welcome 16 Past Presidents of the OACFP at this year’s conference—together representing nearly 40 years of leadership, dedication, and service to Ontario’s bereavement profession.

Their vision, commitment, and contributions have helped build the strong and connected community we celebrate today. Each has played a vital role in advancing our mission and strengthening the profession for future generations.

💙 Thank you for continuing to inspire and lead with compassion.

08/08/2025

Representing the Funeral Profession in Ontario since 1883

08/05/2025

There’s a renewed conversation happening in our profession about unity, regulation, and the importance of ensuring the bereavement sector in Ontario is guided by those who live the work every day. At the Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals (OACFP), this is not a new conversation—it’s one our members had years ago.

We recognized early that internal divisions—between funeral and cemetery, between operators large and small—were holding us back from shaping the future we all care about. That’s why OACFP has worked steadily and intentionally to bring the sector together not just in words, but in structure, programs, and strategic advocacy.

Today, we are the only provincial bereavement association that represents every aspect of the sector. We’ve built that unity because we believe it’s essential—not just for influencing regulation, but for serving our communities with the compassion, cultural understanding, and professionalism they deserve.

Now, as others in the sector revisit this conversation, we welcome the momentum—but we also offer a challenge: join the work that’s already in motion.

OACFP members have:

• Created a collaborative platform that brings funeral, cemetery, cremation, transfer, and supplier professionals together.
• Advocated consistently for regulatory leadership that includes professionals with lived experience and sector-specific insight.
• Supported qualified candidates in seeking appointments to regulatory bodies and advisory committees.
• Advanced a vision of the profession that is inclusive, forward-thinking, and rooted in shared purpose.

The message is clear: the sector can be unified—and in many ways, it already is. But it’s time to expand that unity and align our voices with even greater coordination.

We’re inviting our colleagues to help us finish what we’ve started.

• Support coordinated advocacy. Fragmented messaging will not move the government. A united, strategic approach will.
• Engage with the unified work already being done.
• Encourage qualified professionals to lead.
• Focus on our shared future. The diversity of our roles should be our strength, not our dividing line.

OACFP members have led the way in building a collaborative future for Ontario’s bereavement sector. We invite all sector professionals to join us in pushing that future forward.

07/30/2025

We're bringing the profession together for two unforgettable days!

September 15 – Kick things off with a night of laughter at a private sector Comedy Bar with your peers & colleagues.

September 16 – Earn continuing education credits, teambuild with like-minded professionals, and find out what's trending in funeral service.

Don't miss this opportunity to recharge, reconnect, and re-energize with colleagues from across Ontario.

DETAILS & REGISTRATION https://ofsaeducation.org/2025-ontario-funeral.../

07/28/2025

CFD Employment Opportunity
Advance Your Career!
Westminster Funeral & Reception Centre
Is Hiring a Funeral Director
(July 28, 2025)

Job Details
DescriptionWhy Work for Westminster Funeral and Reception Centre?

Service -
• At every level, our dedicated team members display a strong work ethic and commitment to our core values, respect for the family, the profession, and the individual.• Work with leading experts in the funeral and cemetery profession.

Benefits -
• Balanced work schedule
• Secure Employment with fully paid benefits
• Pension plan
• Uniform and dry-cleaning programs
• Professional advancement opportunities
• We value honesty, courage, integrity, ethical behavior and the development of personal growth.
• We are rooted in the communities to provide a personal touch to every family we serve.
• We believe in the value of funeral and cemetery service, drawing on decades of experience to create the best experience for our families.

Summary/Objective -
The Funeral Director is accountable for performing a variety of tasks during the preparation, planning, and ex*****on of the funeral and memorialization process to ensure services run smoothly and that the expectations of our client families and their guests are exceeded.

Essential Functions -
• Consults with client families or legal representative of the deceased to create services designed to meet their end-of-life memorialization expectations.
• Ensures that client families are presented with all merchandising and service options available.
• Obtains information needed to complete required documents such as obituaries, death certificates, burial permits, and insurance.
• Coordinates all service arrangements and details with clergy, other presiding persons, fraternal or military organizations, and others who may participate in conducting the funeral service.
• Utilizes systems to record merchandise selections, enter contracts, and complete necessary forms.
• Plans, schedules, and conducts visitations and services.
• Oversees all employees participating in services, ensuring that each member of the team understands their individual role and is professionally representing the location.
• Places casket or remains in visitation area, setting up the area to comply with client family wishes, including adjusting light fixtures, and arrangement of flowers or plants.
• Directs and ushers families and services attendees to and from the location of the funeral service.
• Supervises and assists in the transportation of client families to ensure a timely departure and arrival.
• Arranges and coordinates shipment of remains to and from other cities and locations.
• Instructs and oversees work of Apprentice Funeral Directors on services and paperwork.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

Competencies -
• Communication Proficiency.
• Teamwork Orientation.
• Detail Orientation.
• Thoroughness
• Customer Service Orientation.
• Social Perceptiveness.
• Time Management.

Required Education, Experience, Certifications and Licensure -
• Active Funeral Director’s license in good standing
• Possess a valid driver’s license and clean driver’s abstract
• Exceptional active listening, verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail
• Proficient using MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and funeral software
• The successful candidate will be required to undergo a background check

Additional Eligibility Qualifications -
• Ability to read, write, and speak English fluently. Bilingual is a plus.
• High degree of overall computer proficiency.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to effectively present information to client families, co-workers, and leadership.
• Demonstrated willingness to participate in growing market share through active, personal participation in complimentary, community based organizations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers, community leaders, and grieving client families.
• Ability to empathize with client families and their guests and demonstrate tact and patience in emotionally charged situations.
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude and working environment through organization and communication.
• Ability to actively listen to the needs of client families.
• Attention to detail, follow-through and ability to work in a team setting.
• Tactful and professional behavior when dealing with complaints or dissatisfaction with services or merchandise.
• Ability to work independently with little or no supervision.
Supervisory Responsibility -This position may be responsible for supervising Funeral Directors on Internship.

Other Duties -
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Please submit resume to Jay Wilson jhwilson@plcorp.com

07/25/2025

BAO change in leadership

Leadership Update at the
Bereavement Authority of Ontario
July 25, 2025

Dear Professionals/Licensees:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am writing to inform you of an update at the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO).

On July 9, 2025, Jim Cassimatis concluded his tenure as Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the BAO. The Board of Directors expresses its gratitude to Mr. Cassimatis for his four years of service with the organization, including his leadership as CEO and Registrar from December 2022 to July 2025.

To support the organization through this transition, the Board has appointed Jay Blair as Interim CEO and Registrar, effective July 9, 2025. Mr. Blair has more than ten years of legal and regulatory experience. His appointment provides leadership continuity and operational stability.

A formal search process for a permanent CEO and Registrar is now underway. In the meantime, the organization remains focused on its mandate to protect and inform consumers and to maintain public confidence in Ontario’s bereavement sector.

Under Mr. Blair’s interim leadership, the BAO is working to strengthen how it delivers on that mandate by strengthening oversight, providing clearer guidance, and maintaining effective communication with licensees and sector partners. The organization remains committed to a regulatory approach that is fair, transparent, and responsive.

Maintaining open communication remains a priority during this transition. In the days and weeks ahead, Mr. Blair will be reaching out to sector partners to connect directly and support continued engagement.

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and commitment. If you have any questions about this transition, please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Leith R.A. Coghlin
Chair of the Board of Directors
Bereavement Authority of Ontario

07/22/2025

An Open Letter to Our Colleagues in the Bereavement Sector of Ontario

To my fellow bereavement professionals across Ontario,

We are the stewards of Ontario's most sacred rituals. In moments of profound loss, we are the steady hands, the compassionate voices, and the trusted guides for families in our communities. The work we do is not merely a job; it is a calling, demanding the highest levels of empathy, integrity, and professionalism. It is from this place of shared purpose and deep respect for our profession that I write to you today.

We must be honest with ourselves about our recent history. For too long, we have allowed our internal disagreements—whether between cemeteries and funeral homes, large corporate operators and small independents, or differing philosophies of service—to overshadow our common goals. And while we were busy arguing amongst ourselves, a critical shift occurred, one that affects every single one of us. The government, seeing a fractured and disjointed sector, proceeded to appoint non-bereavement professionals to regulate our profession.

Since the new legislation took effect in 2012, we have been living with the consequences. We are now guided, licensed, and overseen by individuals who, however well-intentioned, do not possess the lived, day-in-day-out experience of serving the bereaved. They have not stood in a quiet arrangement room, comforted a grieving family, or managed the complex logistics of a service under immense emotional pressure. Decisions are being made for us, not by us, and this disconnect threatens the very future and integrity of our profession.

We have been working together in this new reality for over fifteen years, navigating challenges and serving our communities. The time has come to definitively leave the past in the past. The old divisions no longer serve us. The luxury of internal debate is one we can no longer afford. Our future depends on our ability to unite now.

Our unity cannot be passive. It must be active, vocal, and strategic. We must come together to ensure that our regulatory body is composed of leaders from within our own ranks. We need to:

Engage with our professional associations and demand a unified strategy for government advocacy.
Communicate with one another as colleagues with a shared destiny, not as competitors.
Actively identify, encourage, and support qualified bereavement professionals to seek appointments to the regulatory board.
Present a united and powerful voice to the government, making it clear that self-regulation led by sector experts is the only acceptable path forward.
The future of our profession in Ontario is at a crossroads. Will we continue to be a sector governed by outsiders, or will we rise together to reclaim our voice and guide our own destiny? Let us choose unity. Let us choose to work as one, ensuring that the future of bereavement care is shaped by the wisdom, experience, and dedication of those who know it best—us.

With respect and a firm belief in our collective future,

A Fellow Bereavement Professional

Scott B. Miller, Funeral Director

Former, Board Member & Secretary (2016-2023) of the Bereavement Authority of Ontario
Past Chair of the Funeral and Transfer Service Advisory Committee (2017-2023, BAO
Past President of the Ontario Funeral Services Association (2012-2013), Cornerstone Award Recipient
Former Co-Chair of the OFSA Legislative Committee (2008-2017)
Past Chair of the Licensing Committee (1999-2003), Ontario Board of Funeral Services
Former Board Member (1998-2003), Ontario Board of Funeral Services

Canadian Funeral Director

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