Funeral fiasco? There could be a fine

It's hard enough to deal with loss, but if things go wrong at the funeral home it can make a tragic situation worse.

The funeral industry is regulated by the Funeral Board of Manitoba, whichlicenses funeral homes and the people who work at them.

The board also makes sure funeral homesoperate within the code of ethics and bothThe Funeral Directors and Embalmers Act and The Cemeteries Act.

When funeral directors or embalmers stray from the act, the funeral boardinvestigates complaints.

Over the years, the board has investigated everything from intoxicated funeral directors to unlicensed embalmers.A list of its decisions, finesand reports are listed online,which can come in handy when you're making your own final arrangements.

If you think you've received unprofessional service from the funeral industry, contact the Funeral Board of Manitobaor fill out a complaint form available atwww.funeraldirectorsboard.mb.ca.

Funeral directors have their own code of ethics. When those rules are breached, consumers can turn to the Funeral Board of Manitoba.