Add link to BAO consumer guide and acknowledgement to funeral and transfer service contracts

July 28, 2020

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) is making it easier for consumers and funeral homes to receive and distribute the authority’s free Consumer Information Guide (CIG) – A Guide to Death Care in Ontario.

In this Registrar’s Directive, effective Sept. 22, 2020, the BAO is making it standard practice in funeral service contracts to include:

• A link to the digital CIG; and
• The purchaser’s acknowledgement of receiving the CIG.

This change is part of the BAO’s new sample funeral and transfer service contracts, which can be downloaded here. The main changes to the sample contracts are:

• New CIG clause – as mentioned, consumers can choose electronic or printed
• New Guarantee clause – to reflect the fact that disbursements (third-party cash advances) need not be guaranteed as do licensed services and supplies

The sample contracts are for: At-need Funeral Services; At-need Transfer Services; Trust-funded Prepaid Funeral Services; and, Trust-funded Prepaid Transfer Services.

For licensees who have a stock of pre-printed contracts to use up, before printing new ones, the BAO has written this contract addendum for your convenience. Please use it. 

The BAO will next start updating its sample contracts for cemeteries, crematoriums and alternative disposition (hydrolysis).

The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services has made online availability of the BAO’s Consumer Information Guide possible through an amendment to regulations allowing licensees to provide the digital option. Printed copies will continue to be available, with the expectation that far fewer will need to be printed. 

Thank you.

 -Carey Smith, CEO/Registrar