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Family guides · Quebec & Ontario

Family guides: what to do when someone dies

If your loved one has just died, you are probably holding a lot at once. These free guides are written one institution at a time, for hospitals, residences and palliative care homes across Quebec and Ontario, and they start with what actually has to happen next.

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Guides by hospital and residence

3 guides

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These are the institutions we have written guides for so far. We work with families across Quebec and Ontario, so call us wherever your loved one died and we will walk you through the next steps.

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The first hours after a death

The hours right after a death are disorienting, and almost nothing has to be decided in them. This is the order things actually happen in, whether your loved one died in a hospital, a residence, or a palliative care home.

  1. A doctor or nurse confirms the death

    In Quebec a physician, a nurse or a coroner completes the attestation of death. In Ontario the attending doctor or a coroner completes the Medical Certificate of Death. This happens without you having to arrange it.

  2. Your loved one stays in the institution’s care

    The hospital or residence keeps your loved one until you have chosen a provider. You do not have to decide tonight, and you are not obliged to use whichever funeral home the staff mention first.

  3. You choose who takes your loved one into their care

    In both provinces this has to be a licensed business. In Quebec, only a funeral services business or a transporter under contract with one may transport your loved one. In Ontario, the business must be licensed by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.

  4. They file the paperwork with you

    The declaration of death is completed with a family member and filed for you. Everything after that, the gathering, the ashes, the notifications, can happen on your own timeline.

Province by province

How the paperwork differs in Quebec and Ontario

Death paperwork and licensing compared between Quebec and Ontario
StepQuebecOntario
Who confirms the deathA physician, a specialized nurse practitioner, a nurse or a coroner completes the attestation of death. Nurses were added on 7 June 2023.The attending doctor or a coroner completes the Medical Certificate of Death.
What gets filed, and with whomThe declaration of death, completed jointly by a family member and the funeral director. The funeral services business files it with the Directeur de l’état civil.The Statement of Death, completed by the funeral director and a family member, goes with the Medical Certificate of Death to the municipal clerk, who sends both to the Office of the Registrar General.
Who must be licensedOnly a funeral services business, or a transporter acting under contract with one, may transport your loved one.Funeral establishments, transfer services, crematoria and cemeteries are licensed by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002.
Before a cremationThe death has to be attested and declared before the funeral services business proceeds.A coroner has to approve a cremation certificate first. The licensed provider applies for it, though a family can apply directly to the Office of the Chief Coroner.
The death benefitThe Québec Pension Plan pays a maximum of $2,500. In the first 60 days, priority goes to whoever paid the funeral expenses, on proof of payment.The Canada Pension Plan pays a basic $2,500, plus a possible $2,500 top-up for deaths on or after 1 January 2025, to a maximum of $5,000.

Do I have to use the funeral home the hospital suggests?

No. Being handed a name at the bedside is common, and it is a suggestion, not an instruction. The choice of provider is entirely yours, in both Quebec and Ontario, and you can make it after you have left the hospital. Nothing is lost by taking the night to think.

Is there any rush to decide?

Almost never. The hospital or residence can keep your loved one in its care while you decide. Some traditions do ask for burial within about 24 hours, and if yours is one of them the guide for your institution says so plainly. Otherwise, the gathering and the ceremony can wait weeks.

What is in a Cleo family guide?

Each guide is written for one institution. It walks you through what your family actually wants, then names the real funeral homes, cemeteries, green burial options and body donation programs near that building, with the official sources behind each one. It is free, and it points you elsewhere when elsewhere is right.

How Cleo works

  1. 1

    Call us, any time

    Reach a real, bilingual person 24/7. We arrange transport into our care — usually within about four hours.

  2. 2

    We handle everything

    We file the declaration of death and all paperwork, and carry out the cremation at a licensed crematorium.

  3. 3

    Ashes returned home

    We personally hand-deliver your loved one's ashes to your door.

Resources

Helpful next steps

Direct cremation services

What's included and how the fixed, all-inclusive price works.

Where Cleo serves

The cities and regions we work in across Quebec and Ontario.

Start an arrangement

Begin by phone or online, at any hour, with no obligation.

TRUSTED BY FAMILIES

What families say about Cleo

"I used Cleo Cremation for the funerals of my mother and her partner, who passed away a few days apart in April 2026. I didn't want a large, traditional funeral, but I knew my mother and her partner wanted to be cremated. I immediately contacted Cleo Cremation, which I hadn't heard of before. Paul and Sylvie were exceptionally kind and efficient. They were always gentle, a rare quality in our fast-paced world. I highly recommend this company. They even offer support for several months afterward."

Catherine M.

Google review

"Incredible experience end to end. Like most people dealing with this type of company, I was in a massive tailspin dealing with an unplanned death — made more challenging because we were three hours away and needed to make arrangements locally for a funeral out of town. I called Cleo after a frustrating and confusing interaction with our intended funeral home in Gatineau. Megan answered my endless questions, giving me clarity in a tough time and clear direction on what we needed to do. The model is entirely online, with easy-to-understand forms and a direct line to call or text for real, human help. Cleo was accommodating end to end, including multiple calls to help with my many questions in a complex multi-province situation. Megan is a superstar — thank you so much! If you're worried this isn't legit, I assure you they are amazing, and this is the easiest, no-nonsense way to get the unfortunate but necessary work done for cremation and government paperwork. Stellar!"

Mark M.

Google review

Not sure where to start? We'll walk you through it.

We understand this can be a difficult and confusing time. Our compassionate team is here to guide you through each step, with no pressure or complicated decisions.

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Megan Zavitz, Cleo Funeral Director

Megan Zavitz

Funeral Director