The Professionals in Care Alliance has begun to research other possibilities for cemeteries in the lower mainland as well as continuing to arrange meetings and seminars with community and church groups working to build awareness around the need for improving both the options available and the regulations governing end-of-life care.
BC Bereavement Day this year was changed to the third Sunday of May, which is ‘Hospice Month’ and as such the fourth annual Victim’s Memorial and dove release were arranged again at Mountain View Cemetery, again in partnership with the BC Bereavement Helpline and Victims of Homicide in Vancouver.
The Professionals in Care Alliance continue to arrange meetings and seminars with community and church groups working to build awareness around the need for improving both the options available and the regulations governing end-of-life care.
On BC Bereavement Day this year PICA arranged it’s third annual Missing Women’s Memorial at Mountain View Cemetery in conjunction with the BC Bereavement Helpline and Victims of Homicide in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Sun on March 17th writes a two page article on the Kearney Family Business going into extensive detail over the work they have done to support improving the quality of end-of-life-care in B.C.
The FFA and the Professionals in Care Alliance continue to arrange meetings and seminars with community and church groups working to build awareness around the need for improving both the options available and the regulations governing end-of-life care.
On BC Bereavement Day this year PICA arranged it’s second annual Missing Women’s Memorial and ‘dove release’at the ‘Marker For Change’ at Thorton Park in Vancouver.
Globe & Mail Report on Small Business covers the FFA Campaign, and the Kearney Family Business
The FFA and the Professionals in Care Alliance arranged their first faith luncheon to begin to build a faith based taskforce to finally complete the reforms required to create a healthy funeral service regulatory environment.
October will see saw their first PR Campaign launch for the further five reforms, beginning with their call for new cemetery space being made available in the Lower Mainland, beginning with the Pickton Farm, which already has 69 women buried there. On BC Bereavement Day (November 14th) PICA arranged a memorial service as the gate of the farm, asking the Provincial Government to consider donating the land to PICA to become a new not-for-profit cemetery, with part of the proceeds going to care and support for families of the victims, and further funding allocated to fund university research into confronting and more adequately challenging violence against women.
Presentations and tours to healthcare workers, colleges and faith communities continue in effort to raise awareness over vital reforms required to ensure a healthy regulatory environment.
The FFA has expressed their deep frustration with the fact that as yet neither the law requiring funeral home ownership or the law requiring disclosure of location are being enforced.
BC Business covered the Independent FFA Campaign
Frank Stewart was invited to be keynote speaker at the Catholic Cemetery Association Convention held in Vancouver B.C., Canada that year. Mr. Crean challenged Mr. Stewart’s position on consolidators partnering with the Church communities especially with respect to operation of their cemeteries
In April the Florida Courts dropped the criminal charges against SCI because a criminal conviction might result in the insurance company not paying the victims of their malpractice.
A new consumer regulatory organization, the Business Practice and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) was introduced.
In June the Order of the Golden Rule Association, and the Independent Funeral Directors Associations of Florida, Indiana, Georgia, Michigan, Maryland, Maine, New York, and Virginia all announced their joining the FFA’s US Trademark Opposition against SCI’s attempt to register “Family Funeral Care” in the United States, establishing the ‘Prevent SCI’s Trademark Fund’ or ‘PST Fund’, and organizing fund-raising support to help with extensive legal costs. In June SCI declined to defend its USA Trademark Registration against FFA’s Opposition. In July SCI threatened to sue PICA over faulty research.
PICA responded that it welcomed the opportunity to defend its research in any venue SCI chose (because the publicity would bring much needed attention to the issues) but thought a live television debate on inadequate funeral regulation would be far more useful to the public (no response so far).
The FFA gained the support of about 3,500 family owned funeral homes at their Canadian Trademark Commission Hearing on whether SCI should be awarded the trademark “Family Funeral Care”. On April 23, the Canadian Trademark Office found in favor of the FFA opposition, and denied SCI their trademark registration.
In May the FFA is approached by a number of the healthcare, religious, caregiver groups and asked to start a new public education vehicle (a group that did not include the word funeral in its name). After several focus groups were organized and research done, the PARTNERS IN CARE ALLIANCE (PICA) was announced and within a year completed 200 presentations to nursing homes, hospitals, consumer groups, seniors groups and churches.
