Fire fallout

Chant’s Funeral Home temporarily loses licence as result of damage from fire

SYDNEY – Chant’s Funeral Home has had its licence temporarily suspended as a result of the recent fire at the facility.

“Where we have a funeral home that has been severely damaged by fire and unable to be functioning as a funeral home, that would be grounds for us to suspend their licence because they don’t have a funeral home that’s suitable for its intended purpose,” said Rodger Gregg, registrar of cemetery and funeral services for Service Nova Scotia.

Service Nova Scotia is responsible for licensing and regulating funeral homes.

Gregg said Chant’s had a funeral home licence which allowed it to offer or provide funeral merchandise and services to the public.

“That licence has been suspended, which means right now they are not allowed to offer or provide any funeral merchandise or services to the public from any location.”

“We’re not going to put the horse before the cart. Right now the cart is burnt, and we can’t do anything with the horse so we’re just waiting to find out the status of our cart.” Jill Nemis managing director, Chant’s Funeral Home

In the meantime, Crime Stoppers is appealing to the public for tips in an investigation into the fire that broke out at the funeral home at about 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2.

An investigation by the provincial fire marshal’s office and Cape Breton Reginal Police Service has concluded the fire to be an act of arson.

The building was vacant at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. There is believed to be extensive damage to the chapel area.

When asked about the second facility Chant’s has for storing cremated remains that is located close to the funeral home, Gregg said that facility would not be licensed so Chant’s would not be able to provide any funeral merchandise or services out of it.

However, Gregg said, they would allow Chant’s Funeral Home to release cremated remains.

“If it’s for picking up cremated remains, yes we would allow that,” he said. “We aren’t looking at putting any unnecessary hardships on any families.”

Gregg said they weren’t aware Chant’s has this second facility where cremated remains are stored.

“As a result of the fire, this is the first I’m hearing of that,” he said.

However, Gregg said, he’s not aware of any legislation that restricts that activity.

“I wouldn’t say that is common practice,” he said. “From my understanding and my discussions with funeral home owners and funeral directors, normally you’d keep the remains within the funeral home.”

Gregg said where the fire caused extensive damage to the funeral home, it’s not a bad thing the cremated remains were able to be saved and were not damaged.

“I know a lot of funeral homes might have unclaimed cremated remains that might have accumulated over the years.”

As far as the second facility, he said they will work with the funeral home to get an idea on what other facilities they are using as part of their business.

Gregg said although no one knows when Chant’s will be back in operation, it will be some time as licensing inspectors have to do a pre-licensing inspection if a funeral home wanted to open to ensure it met all the requirements under the act.

In the meantime, Nova Scotians who have a funeral contract with Chant’s Funeral Home and have questions are encouraged to contact Service Nova Scotia at 902-424-5819 to learn about available options.

Some police crime scene tape remained in front of the building on Thursday. Numerous doors were boarded up and a small amount of leftover debris was neatly piled by a side door near the back of the building.

Jill Nemis, managing director of Chant’s Funeral Home, said it’s standard practice their licence would be temporary suspended, as the licence is tied to their building.

“We are unable to use our building right now, so we are unable to serve people right now.”

Nemis said she believed owner Sheldon Chant was meeting with the insurance adjuster on Friday.

As of early Friday afternoon, they had not been in the building so didn’t know how extensive the damage was.

“The information the firemen could give us was that there was extensive damage to our chapel area,” she said.

Nemis said hopes are to renovate but they don’t know the state of the building yet.

“We’re not going to put the horse before the cart,” she said.

“Right now the cart is burnt, and we can’t do anything with the horse so we’re just waiting to find out the status of our cart.”

Nemis said until they get an idea on the state of their building and what it would take to bring it back up to where it would be able to function as a funeral home again, they can’t even give a cost or time estimate.

She said they were thankful there were not any remains at the funeral home, considering all the cases they have on the go.

Although remains are stored at the funeral home, they have storage for cremated remains in a secure facility within a block of the funeral home, she said.

Nemis said where they are so busy and have such a high volume of calls they do have practices in place for receiving, storing and giving ashes back to families.

“There is a structure to make sure the correct ashes go back to the correct family member,” she said.

As well, she said, they want to ensure privacy for family members who might not want to pick up loved one’s remains if there was a funeral service or a visitation going on at the funeral home. And being winter, it’s important for proper storage until spring, when burials can be organized.

“It’s a spot more private and secure, with documentation for receiving and giving back ashes for families.”

Nemis said as of next week they will be starting to contact clients who have ashes in storage with them or have other services planned.

“We’re going to call just to talk to them,” she said.

In the meantime, she said, if anyone has any questions or concerns their phone lines are still open at 902-539-4458.

“Any questions or concerns, we’re still here, we’re still answering the phones. If anyone is worried about anything, just call, reach out to us.”

In June 2018, Service Nova Scotia announced a six-month suspension of Chant’s Funeral Home’s licence to sell prearranged funeral plans, and permanently revoked its ability to sell trust-funds after investigating a complaint where a couple had each signed prearranged funeral plans but their monthly payments went into the funeral home’s operating account instead of being placed in trust.

Owner Sheldon Chant apologized to the family and refunded the money for both contracts.

Recently, the Sydney funeral home put in a request to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s planning and development department to repeal and replace a development agreement it signed in September 2003.

However, the CBRM planning department says Chant’s Funeral Home has been in breach of the agreement because it violated a number of applicable conditions. The planning department recommended that council pass a motion to hold a public hearing to “consider” replacing the 2003 agreement, with the stipulation that the hearing not take place until Chant submits a revised site plan.

Crime Stoppers is asking anyone with information on the Feb. 2 fire at Chant’s Funeral Home to call the Cape Breton regional Police Service at 902-563-5151 or Crime Stoppers at 902-562-8477.