Cape Breton funeral home has some services suspended after wrongful cremation

Forest Haven Memorial Gardens in Sydney will have its crematorium license suspended for two months effective Thursday, April 28, for a wrongful cremation that occurred last December.

The suspension means the funeral home cannot do cremations during this time.

A hearing was held by the Provincial Registrar of Embalmers and Funeral Directors on March 11th.

It found Forest Haven Memorial Gardens to be in contravention of the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act for failing to ensure proper identification requirements are in place and followed.

In addition to the license suspension, the funeral homeowner is required to provide the registrar with Forest Haven’s documented standardized process to ensure the continuous identification of human remains.

Forest Haven Memorial Gardens keeps its Cemetery and Funeral Services license and is allowed to carry on cemetery activities during this time.

Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services says they will work with the proper associations to see what needs to be done for the future.

“No family should have to experience what this family is going through.

Now that the hearing has taken place and the registrar has made her decision, the Department will work with the Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors and the Funeral Service Association to see what needs to be done to improve compliance with the current legislative requirements.”

In March, the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors revoked the license of the funeral director involved with the wrongful cremation.

The Notice of Decision about Forest Haven Memorial Garden’s Crematorium license can be found here: https://beta.novascotia.ca/hearing-and-enforcement-action-notices-cemeteries-and-funeral-homes .