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Remember those we've lost

Souvenons-nous

A free, bilingual place for Canadian families — for the people we carry with us and the soldiers who came home with names on the cenotaph. Une page gratuite pour ceux qui nous manquent.

Create a page · Créer une page Remembrance Day · Jour du Souvenir

What to do when someone dies in Canada · Que faire lors d'un décès

Practical steps. Each province administers death registration and probate slightly differently — these are the universal ones.

  1. 1

    Register the death with the province

    Each province issues its own death certificate via the Vital Statistics agency (ServiceOntario, Service Alberta, Directeur de l'état civil in Québec, etc.). The funeral director usually files the registration on your behalf — ask for at least 5 certified copies for banks, CPP, insurers and probate.

  2. 2

    Notify the Canada Pension Plan and Service Canada

    Apply for the CPP Death Benefit (one-time lump sum) and, if applicable, the Survivor's Pension and Children's Benefit. Service Canada also cancels OAS, GIS and EI. In Québec, contact Retraite Québec for QPP equivalents.

  3. 3

    Arrange the funeral or celebration of life

    Funeral directors are licensed provincially. Indigenous, Catholic, Protestant, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish and secular traditions are all common — share the person's wishes with the director. Many provinces offer financial assistance for low-income families.

  4. 4

    Probate and the estate

    Probate is a provincial court process. In Ontario it's the Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee; in BC, a Grant of Probate; in Québec, a notarised will may avoid probate entirely. The CRA requires a final T1 return for the deceased.

Bereavement support · Soutien au deuil

Light a candle · Allumer une bougie

From Newfoundland to Vancouver Island — create a free page for someone you love. Photos, music, the stories your family tells. C'est gratuit.

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Common questions · Questions fréquentes

How do I register a death in Canada?
Death registration is provincial. The funeral director normally files the Statement of Death with the provincial Vital Statistics agency — ServiceOntario, Service Alberta, Directeur de l'état civil in Québec, Vital Statistics BC, and so on. Order at least five certified death certificates for banks, CPP/QPP, insurers and probate.
What is the CPP Death Benefit and who qualifies?
The Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit is a one-time lump sum (currently $2,500) paid to the estate of a contributor who has died. Apply through Service Canada. In Québec the equivalent is administered by Retraite Québec under the QPP. The Survivor's Pension and Children's Benefit may also apply.
When is Remembrance Day in Canada?
Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November each year. At 11am Canadians fall silent for two minutes to honour the more than 118,000 Canadians who died in service. The National Ceremony is held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Local services take place at cenotaphs in every province and territory.
Are TributeLegacy memorial pages free for Canadian families?
Yes. Creating a bilingual memorial page on TributeLegacy is free for families across Canada. Add photos, music, the regiment, the lake, the recipes — and invite family from coast to coast to light a candle and leave a tribute.
Where can I find Commonwealth war graves in Canada?
There are more than 19,000 Commonwealth war graves in Canada, cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Our Legacy Locations map includes cemeteries and memorials from Halifax to Victoria; each entry links back to the official CWGC record.