N.S. gives Public Trustee authority to deal with unclaimed remains

This is a revised story. Based on information provided by the provincial Justice Department, CBC originally reported that a new policy addressing unclaimed remains included all unclaimed cremated remains in funeral homes. Afterthe story was published, the province emailed to clarify and correct that information.

The province has made the Public Trustee, a corporation independent of government, responsible for managing unclaimed remains, giving it authority to make and pay for "disposition arrangements," and to recover costs from a deceased's estate.

"Government has simply moved authority from the Department of Health and Wellness to the Public Trustee to ensure a more streamlined approach," Barbara MacLean, spokesperson for the Department of Justice, said in an emailed statement.

"This does not pertain to the cremated remains of individuals that are left at funeral homes and not retrieved by the next-of-kin. That is a completely separate matter," MacLean said.

Last year, Service Nova Scotia launched a survey and discovered the cremated remains of 727 people were sitting unclaimed in Nova Scotia funeral homes, including one dating to the 1950s and another two from the 1960s. One funeral home had 124 and another had 111. The government has not said how it plans to deal with them.

"Regardless of where an individual passes away whether it is in a hospital, long-term care facility, their home or any other location government becomes involved when there is no next-of-kin or the next-of-kin is unwilling or unable to take responsibility for final burial arrangements," MacLean said.

There are an average of 25-30 cases of unclaimed remains each year, according to MacLean. She said a body can be declared unclaimed after seven days.

MacLean said there are often friends or relatives of the deceased person who can provide direction regarding the funeral arrangements, even if the remains have not been claimed.

The order also allows the Public Trustee to investigate whether the deceased had an estate and then recover costs associated with disposal of remains from the estate.