This Week November21, 1990. Page M3 ago tinued from Page 1 Z 7 Whar are 94 funeral homes in B. C, aecording to the B.C. Funeral As. sociation. Funeral giant Arbor Capital of ; Toronto is a major shareholder-in— Sands Funeral Chapels, and Texas- based conglomerate Service Corpora- tion International (SCI) has taken over First Memorial Funeral Ser- “Wiices. In total, there are four funeral homes in Victoria. The takeovers haven't affected local operations and service, according to spokesmen for Sands and First Memorial. - Larry Newell, manager of First ' Memorial on Fort Street, said noth- ing of real significance has changed + since the business was taken over a year and a half ago by SCI which owns approximately 500 funeral ,: homes in North America. _ felt it’s a good company to work for . = ..they (SCI) know what we stand for and let us do our own thing,” Newell _ said. ,__ First] Memorial still provides he _ Same service. In fact, it has improved since the takeover, Newell told This = Week. | McCall said his funeral business ~ plans to stay independent for years to come, and noted SCI hasn’t affected his operation. There’s still healthy = -competition in Victoria because there are still four funeral homes, McCall - - said. But Gallo has concerns. He said the possibility still exists that one operator could own the whole show to form a monopoly. “Then what happens to the con- sumer? I’m not saying the con- glomerates aren’t good citizens, but when one firm controls the market, it’s a little disturbing,” Gallo said. The takeover of so many funeral operations by the Texas-based giant and the ongoing controversy about s@elephone solicitation for funeral plots has caused Gallo to wonder about ethics in the business. A similar concern about ethics led to the recent legislation which » prohibits phone solicitation and | direct selling by funeral homes. Before the new act was made law, people were receiving calls from sale men pitching cemetery plots = —“Jnitially, was shocked, but then I PIONEERS OF GREATER VICTORIA found their final resting place at historic Ross Bay Cemetery in Fairfield. Today, cremation is gaining in popularity, especially on the West Coast. Basic funerals cost between $2,700 and $2,900. The cost of a casket runs from $225 to more than $1,500. Crema- tion costs $115. and funeral services. This approach was deemed unethical, and public outcry prompted the B.C. Ministry of: Labor and Consumer Services to put a stop to it. Photo by CHUCK RUSSELL This pleased many operators like Gallo, who said such intrusion is in very poor taste. You could be phoning a family which has a member in the: hospital, he pointed out. __A traditional funeral in Canada “People don’t want to be phoned to buy cemetery plots.” Gallo told This Week that ap- proximately 2,700 people die every year in Greater Victoria. He arranges about 275 funerals a year, including traditional services and immediate disposals. A traditional funeral involves the collection of the remains, registration of death, use of facilities and equip- ment, casket, transportation and memorial service. Immediate dis- posal is basically the collection of the remains and the burial, without a memorial service or final viewing. “We have found that it’s healthy to go through the stages of grief and to physically view the deceased,” Gallo said. In one instance, a woman wanted the immediate disposal of her hus- band by cremation. It was done without a service and without final __ viewing. Later, the woman came back ——- to Gallo and asked if the person they cremated was really her husband. “She was in worse shape than ever.” costs $2,700 to $2,900, Gallo said. Caskets can range from $225 to more than $1,500. Cremation costs about $115. Rental caskets are available where wood inserts are covered by the ac- tual coffin. The wood insert (box) is what is buried or cremated. Gallo said cremation is more popular on the West Coast because of people’s transient lifestyles. As you get further east, you'll see more burials because people are rooted in small communities where cemeteries are a common sight. Many people on Vancouver Island ~cremate their loved ones and scatter the remains “to the wind,” more ap- propriately to the sea, Gallo noted. The big difference between burial and cremation is about 30 years, he said. That’s how long it takes for a body to decompose in the ground, d whereas cremation takes two and a half hours, and costs much less. It all comes down to personal choice. Gallo said the kindest thing couples can do for each other is talk about what they both want in terms of a funeral service. It’s not something to be afraid of, just something to keep in mind for your mate’s best interests. — Af Re ar WN We're postponing that day of reckoning | due to the effective control of diseases, such as polio, tuberculosis and diphtheria. Changes in specific mortality rates depend on a number of factors, including medical advancements, timely access to medical assistance and greater em- phasis on preventive medicine, like diet and exercise. Significant improvements in mortality rates dunng the past three decades were in the younger age groups (under 14 years). But very little improvement has occurred among males aged 15 to 29. British Columbia has approximately three million people. Live births in 1988 totalled 42,930, with a rate of 14 per 1,000 of the population. There were 22,546 deaths in the province in 1988, with a rate of 7.6 per 1,000, according to the 1988 Health Report on mortality. Infant deaths totalled 362; a rate of eight per 1,000 live births. Two years ago, there were approximately 1.4 million males living in the province, with 1.5 million females. The total of all selected causes of death for males was 12,315. More than 3,500 men died of heart disease, i while 3,175 succumbed to cancer. More than 1,100 died of respiratory disease and accidents, while 972 fell to lung disease. Motor vehicle accidents claimed 351, and nearly 300 males committed suicide. Forty- i two were victims of homicide. The figures for women were slightly lower. ince the Roaring ’20s, B.C. residents have added 14 years to their lives. Butit took 70 long years to doit. The average life expectancy for men in 1921 was a relatively brief 60 years. For women, it was 64. Today, males are expected to live to the age of 74, while the average > woman lives to the ripeness of 80, according fo Siatctics Canada The Health Report notes 378 men and women (per 0) isti : 100,000 population) committed suicide, while only 66 were victims of homicide by assault. Fifteen died of injury by accident or personal infliction, whereas a total of 597 were victims of adverse effects from drugs or medication. The trend of increasing life expectancy will con- tinue, although at a slower rate than in the past. By # the year 2016, men in B.C. will be expected to live to “gm 78 years, while for women the average will be 84. * The most significant factor contributing to the in- creased life expectancy during the past 55 years has been the reduction in infant mortality. This has been More than 500 men and women died as a result of motor vehicle accidents, and more than 500 (per 100,000) suceumbed to leukemia.