Cremations, burials of unclaimed bodies to start this week, says NLHS

Elizabeth Whitten · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 25, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

Dozens of bodies being kept successful semipermanent retention by Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services volition soon beryllium buried, says a wellness authority chief operating officer.

CBC News archetypal reported 28 bodies were being stored successful freezer units extracurricular of the Health Sciences Centre successful St. John's owed to a deficiency of abstraction successful the morgue successful March, 2024. The morgue doubles arsenic the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The freezers were later relocated to a infirmary parking store wherever a new, expanded morgue was constructed.

On Monday, eastern-urban portion COO Ron Johnson announced Barrett's Funeral Home had been awarded the contract to transportation retired the burials.

"This week we had a batch of accusation travel done aft the posting went online. So this week immoderate cremations and burials volition commencement and we're moving our mode done the process," Johnson told reporters.

There are astir 26 bodies presently successful storage, Johnson said, but added the fig is known to fluctuate.

"I deliberation it's a small little today, but it'll beryllium a batch little … erstwhile the week is over," helium said.

CBC News asked Barrett's for an interrogation connected Tuesday, but president Shane Mouland said helium wasn't available.

"Please beryllium assured that these cremations and burials volition beryllium carried retired with the utmost care, dignity, and professionalism. Our squad is moving intimately with NLHS to guarantee each idiosyncratic is respectfully laid to remainder successful a timely manner," helium said successful an email.

According to the amended legislation, which was filed connected Dec. 24 and came into effect connected Jan. 1, the wellness authorization has the powerfulness to hide unclaimed bodies aft 2 weeks of searching for adjacent of kin and past 5 days aft the idiosyncratic is posted connected a dedicated website.

In May, CBC News reported Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services hadn't buried a azygous assemblage since authorities came into effect and the website wasn't public.

At the time, wellness authorization spokesperson Mikaela Etchegary said the hold was owed to the request to finalize "operationalizing the legislation."

On May 28, a full of 26 names were posted connected the website with a deadline of June 4 for radical to respond successful bid to claim the body.

In response, respective assemblage efforts were launched to hide immoderate of those individuals in their hometowns.

Other regions dealing with expanding numbers of bodies going unclaimed person brought successful nationalist memorial ceremonies to people their burials.

In a connection to CBC News, wellness authorization spokesperson Jon Oake said thing of that quality isn't successful the works astatine the moment.

"While radical ceremonies are not planned, we proceed to research meaningful ways to collectively honour unclaimed individuals. Community partnerships and consultation play a cardinal relation successful shaping this important work," helium wrote.

In a connection dated June 3, seniors' advocator Susan Walsh said she had spoken with unit regarding however the deceased volition beryllium handled and was assured the wishes of the deceased, if known, would beryllium carried out.

She was also told NLHS volition marque definite the deceased are sent backmost to their location communities for burial, and permanent markers with the person's sanction volition beryllium erected astatine the sedate site.

"With the caller process and timelines outlined successful legislation, this unfortunate concern should beryllium resolved going forward," wrote Walsh.

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