It is said the only certainties in life are death and taxes.
It seems when it comes to death — and the services available to honour the passing of our loved ones — even the surest business ventures face uncertainty.
Powassan funeral home director Richard Paul says he has recently made a business purchase which — prior to the COVID-19 pandemic — he never imagined would be necessary for his line of work: a counter. As in, a device to count the number of people in attendance at a funeral ceremony.
Paul says a funeral mass to be held at a Roman-Catholic church this weekend will mark the first of its kind he has been able to offer a client since early March. He says the capacity of the church is roughly 400, meaning, according to just-relaxed government protocols, 30 per cent or approximately 120 will be permitted to attend. A blurb at the top of the funeral notice informs the public of the attendance restrictions.
"We have to include the priest and the organist, so that means 118 people," can pay their respects. The funeral home staff is not counted against the tally, advises Paul.
"We're going to feel like bouncers as we count heads until we can't allow anymore. It's going to be painful but at least this family can have what they consider to be an appropriate burial ceremony," says Paul.
See related story: ONTARIO: Restrictions eased on wedding and funeral ceremonies, not receptions
For the past three months, choices have been scaled back for grieving families. Some have opted for private visitations while observing provincial guidelines. Some have made payment for services and deferred making decisions until summer, in the hopes restrictions will eventually be lifted further. Even more, says Paul, are opting to go straight to cremation to avoid gatherings.
Theoret-Bourgeois funeral director Nadine Berger says customer service is always paramount in the industry but especially when restrictions are in place limiting what many loved ones see as an appropriate celebration of life. She says they have even found room for innovation out of necessity.
"We had one family who opted to do a live-streaming of a service because they did not want a large gathering during the pandemic," shares Berger. "We had five of the family members in the visitation room and we set up a camera and did a live web feed of the funeral."
She adds, "We've been juggling a lot of questions about those restrictions from families," from the funeral home in Sturgeon Falls. "We can tell them cemeteries have a maximum of 50 people now, up from 10 a few days ago. And, we're lucky here, our visitation rooms have a capacity of 100 each. We've got a little flexibility, that will be great for our families."
Ian Martyn of Martyn Funeral Homes in North Bay, says business has been non-existent at its affiliate in Mattawa. He says, despite holding a monopoly geographically, Martyn & Sloan has not performed a single funeral service since the pandemic was declared, due in part to the smaller facility there.
"I'm anticipating these easing of restrictions will be more helpful to people," says Martyn. "They can have a more significant ceremony for their loved one."
There is quite a way to go to get back to the normal course of business, Martyn fears. He points to the province limiting even outdoor receptions for a funeral [or wedding] to 10 people, while at the cemetery, it's 50.
Paul says his funeral staff will perform its duties while keeping a respectful distance at the service, according to workplace health guidelines. "We still have to keep a six-foot distance," says Paul. "The three staff members that we will have at the church will all be wearing face masks. The person accepting donations in memory of the deceased will also wear gloves."
Berger says all the bereaved families she has assisted in West Nipissing have been mindful to keep their distance under stressful circumstances.
"We do encourage the families to pass the word around about physical distancing. We encourage the families to be considerate of others. We've never had to break up any groups," says Berger.
Ultimately, she says it is not up to her staff to enforce provincial directives — such as staying home from a funeral gathering if you are unwell — but rather the responsibility of the attendees to govern their own actions.
"It's such a tricky thing. The families we meet don't want uncertainty. It's difficult, you don't want to hurt someone in their moments of grief. They look to you for guidance and it is essential for some to have a service surrounded by friends and family. We are happy the restrictions are lifting so families can get that closure."
Despite the financial turmoil the measures have created, each member of the funeral services industry BayToday spoke to supported the provincial government's actions to limit social gatherings.
"It reminds me of the title of a book I read years ago called Plant Your Feet Firmly in Mid-Air. The book was trying to encourage being flexible, to go with the flow," says Paul. "The problem for us is feeling the frustration that the families feel. In addition to their grief, they feel brokenhearted that they can't do, what in their minds, is the right thing to do."
Berger says she agrees with the restrictions. "In Sturgeon Falls, this is a retirement community and they are the most vulnerable. Yes, the measures are extreme but because of it we didn't have an outbreak."
Martyn concurs with the government's actions. "Considering the situation, they've been fair. The restrictions were necessary to get control of the virus. So, while I understand them, from a business sense, I'm glad to see them lifted. I'm still bracing for a second wave."
None of the funeral homes have lost any staff yet due to the pandemic but Martyn says some tough decisions are not far off.
"For the past two-and-a-half months, our revenues are down over 50 per cent," he says. "It certainly has affected the bottom line. We've been able to keep all of our full-time staff on at full-time salaries so far."
Berger adds, "The measures were not pleasant and they can still be difficult to work with at times. Overall, I think the government did a good job and the measures helped tremendously. As much as it hurt the business, keeping people safe is more important in my mind."
