I have known Cindy as a student with Canadian College of Funeral Service for one year. I have had a chance to interact with her through an on-line program and through face-to-face interaction in seminars.

Cindy is organized, efficient, and punctual. She is competent and has an excellent rapport with all of her classmates and instructors. She is very pleasant and respectful to all people. She has good communication skills and a great demeanour. I find her to be sincere, genuine, and of good character. Cindy has succeeded in the program by achieving great marks on her weekly on-line assignments and her exams. Throughout the past year, she has always asked questions and has set high goals for herself. I find her to be an individual who takes pride in her work and her education. I believe that any family that would seek guidance and counseling through Cindy will certainly be in great hands. Cindy has a true caring nature that will benefit those who come in contact with her. She has a big heart and truly cares about the best interest of those she serves.

- Roger Girouard
Program Director
Canadian College of Funeral Service

Celebration of Life Services

Funeral, Memorial, and Graveside Services

For everything there is a season...a time to mourn...

The death of a loved one is one of the most difficult things in life we will experience. Our hearts are flooded with a gamut of emotions and through these emotions we are expected to make a lot of important decisions - one of them being, "What kind of service should we have?" This is where I come in. I have the honor of working with you in creating a service that is meaningful, "just for you." I will meet you prior to the service date, so that we have the opportunity to get to know one another. I will offer you service suggestions and you then tell me whether or not such suggestions might work for you. I will ask you some questions about your loved one so that our service time together is as meaningful as possible. Each person's life is unique so I believe that every Celebration of Life service needs to be unique as well.

You will receive a copy of the message that I would have prepared for you as well as a "keepsake card" that I create and mail out to you a week after the service. A month following the service, I will touch base with you by phone, to see how you are doing once all of your family and friends have returned to their lives and you begin the difficult task of living without your special someone.

Here are some commonly asked questions:

What's the difference between a funeral, memorial, and graveside service?

A funeral is a service when your loved one is present in a casket at the service, with burial to follow. A memorial service differs from a funeral in that your loved one has been or will be cremated prior to the service and whose urn is present at the service if you so wish. Some families have interment of the urn following a memorial service and others do not. A graveside service can have any or all of the elements of a funeral or memorial service, however, everything is performed at the graveside rather than in a chapel.

We have such a small family. Can I still have a service?

Yes, you most certainly can. Funerals are for the living. They are our way of paying tribute to our loved one. So it doesn't matter if there are 5 or 500 guests - every family or individual can have a service.

I've miscarried (or experienced a still birth). I want to have something for my baby? Is this possible?

I know from personal experience how hard it is to suffer a miscarriage (or stillbirth). I also know how much comfort I received by having an intimate service with my closest family members and friends present when my husband and I experienced this devastating loss. All lives are precious - no matter how short they are. These little people leave huge footprints on our hearts and it is important to acknowledge this in some meaningful way.

My grief is overwhelming me. I need someone to talk to.

You are not alone. Grieving is hard work - physically and emotionally. It is a sign of courage, not weakness, to speak with someone about your loss. I provide grief counseling for individuals or couples - please call for your appointment