Notice to the Profession: Reminder – Changes to FBCSA on cemetery care and maintenance funds

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario is reminding licensees of changes to Ontario Regulation 30/11 under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA) to cemetery care and maintenance funds and accounts.

The changes, which come into force on Jan. 1, 2022, will:

• Permit non-commercial cemetery operators to access the capital portion of a cemetery care and maintenance fund or account to increase the capacity of a cemetery. This is subject to approval from the Registrar of the BAO, under the condition that the capital is paid back into the trust fund or account.
• Increase minimum care and maintenance fund/account contribution amounts. Please see the table for additional information, in:
  • English; or 
  • French.  
• Require the Minister to review the prescribed care and maintenance fund/account contribution amounts every five years.

This message was first sent to licensees on April 9, 2021. 

The BAO strongly encourages:

• Municipalities to share this message with cemeteries in their areas, and inform them to send their email addresses or postal addresses to the BAO if they haven’t already.
  – Cemeteries can send to Licensing@TheBAO.ca.  
  Or if no email address, contact us at: 
  BAO, 100 Sheppard Ave East, Suite 505, Toronto, ON M2N 6N5 
• Funeral establishments to share this message with their local cemeteries, as some do not have email addresses. 

Thank you.