The Conversation Too Many Families Put Off
Most Canadians over the age of 45 have taken important steps to protect their families. They have a will. They’ve planned for retirement. Many have life insurance.
But when I ask whether they’ve written down how they want to be remembered or shared their funeral wishes with loved ones, very few have.
I call this the planning gap, and it’s one of the greatest gifts we can close for the people we love.
I learned this lesson long before joining Dignity Memorial.
A close friend’s father passed away unexpectedly. He had worked hard throughout his life and had accumulated multiple properties and other assets. He had started planning his estate, but some documents hadn’t been completed, his will hadn’t been updated, and he had never documented his funeral wishes.
What should have been a straightforward process became years of legal challenges. Instead of simply grieving her father, my friend found herself navigating difficult decisions, financial responsibilities, and family questions at one of the hardest times of her life.
That experience has stayed with me ever since.
Why Planning Ahead Matters
When families meet with us after losing someone they love, two questions often linger:
“Did we make the right decisions?”
“Is this what they would have wanted?”
Planning ahead removes those questions. It allows you to make your own choices while giving your family clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.
More Than Emotional Peace of Mind
There are practical benefits as well. Like many expenses, funeral costs typically increase over time. Planning ahead allows you to make arrangements based on today’s pricing, and flexible monthly payment options can make the process fit comfortably within many household budgets.
Four Simple Steps to Get Started
I often recommend thinking about it in four simple steps:
- Reflect on what matters most to you.
- Record your wishes.
- Secure your arrangements.
- Share your plans with the people who will one day need them.
One of the most valuable tools available is a Personal Planning Guide. It serves as more than a place to record funeral preferences. It can also help organize important information such as key documents, financial accounts, important contacts, and other details your executor or family members may need. Having everything in one place can make an overwhelming time much easier for those left behind.
A Plan as Unique as Your Life
One of the things I’m most proud of about Dignity Memorial is that every plan is built around the individual.
Some families choose traditional services. Others prefer highly personalized celebrations of life. I remember one family that placed their father’s urn beside his beloved ATV during the service. At the conclusion, his son rode that ATV out as a final tribute. It was exactly the farewell their father would have wanted.
There is no single right way to honour a life.
Support That Continues Beyond the Service
Our commitment to families also continues after the service. We provide guidance through many of the administrative tasks that follow a loss, helping families navigate government notifications, paperwork, and estate-related checklists during an already difficult time.
Your Next Step
Planning ahead isn’t about preparing for the end of life. It’s about giving yourself peace of mind today and giving your loved ones clarity when they need it most.
Visit DignityMemorial.com/CARP to download your complimentary Insider’s Guide to Funeral and Cremation Planning, request your free Personal Planning Guide, or call 866-668-1841 to speak with a Dignity Memorial planning advisor.
One of the greatest gifts we can leave the people we love isn’t found in our estate, it’s the comfort of knowing they won’t have to wonder what we would have wanted.
