The first hours after a death arrive without warning, even when the loss was expected. There is no rehearsal for this. The calls need to be made, the paperwork begins to exist, and the decisions do not wait. Knowing what actually needs to happen in the first 24 hours, and what can safely wait, can make the difference between feeling lost and feeling anchored.
This guide focuses on the practical steps that typically fall within the first day. Not every step will apply to every situation. The goal is to give a clear, calm picture of what is ahead so that each step can be taken one at a time.
At a glance
The first 24 hours after a death in Canada involve a small number of essential steps: confirming and pronouncing the death through the appropriate authority, contacting a funeral home to arrange care of the deceased, notifying immediate contacts, and beginning to locate key documents. Most other tasks like government notifications, estate matters, financial accounts belong to the days and weeks that follow. What matters most right now is getting the right support in place and not trying to do everything at once.
Step 1: Confirm the death through the appropriate authority
The first practical step is ensuring the death is formally confirmed by the appropriate person. Who that is depends on the circumstances.
If the death was expected, at home under palliative or hospice care, or in a care facility, contact the attending physician, nurse practitioner, or hospice nurse. They will confirm the death and begin the process of completing the Medical Certificate of Death. In Ontario and some other provinces, formal protocols exist for expected deaths at home that allow a nurse practitioner to provide a completed certificate directly to the funeral home, often within 24 hours. If care was provided through a home care program, the care coordinator can help identify the right contact.
If the death was unexpected, sudden, unexplained, or the result of an accident, call 911 immediately. Do not move the body or disturb the environment. Emergency responders will assess the situation, and a coroner or medical examiner may become involved. In Canada, all deaths that are unnatural, unexpected, unexplained, or unattended must be reported to the appropriate authority: a coroner in most provinces, or a medical examiner in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The coroner or medical examiner will take responsibility for completing the Medical Certificate of Death in those cases.
If the death occurred in a hospital, the medical team will handle the immediate steps. Staff will guide the next of kin through what is required and can provide information about what comes next.
If the situation is unclear, if a death occurred at home with no attending physician and the cause is uncertain, contact the local coroner's office for guidance. It is always better to call and confirm than to proceed without knowing who should be involved.
Step 2: Contact a funeral home
Once the death has been confirmed and any required authority has been notified, the next step is contacting a funeral home or cremation provider to arrange for the care and transportation of the deceased.
This call does not require that all decisions about the service have been made. Funeral homes are available 24 hours a day and are experienced in supporting people through this first contact. The main purpose of the initial call is to arrange for the deceased to be transported to their care.
A few things to know before making this call:
- If the deceased left written instructions, a pre-arranged funeral plan, or a will that includes preferences, locate these before contacting the funeral home if possible, but do not delay the call waiting to find them.
- If the deceased is in a hospital or care facility, the facility may have relationships with specific funeral homes, but the choice of provider remains with the family or executor.
- If the death occurred outside the province or outside Canada, the funeral home can advise on the steps required for transportation, which may involve additional permits and coordination.
The funeral director will become a key point of contact over the coming days. They will typically assist with registering the death, obtaining the burial permit, and coordinating with the physician or coroner on the certificate paperwork.
Step 3: Register the death and understand the paperwork
The registration of a death in Canada involves two documents working together. The funeral director handles most of this process, but it helps to understand what is involved.
The Medical Certificate of Death is completed by the attending physician, nurse practitioner, or coroner. It records the cause of death. The family does not complete this document.
The Statement of Death (or equivalent form, which varies by province) is completed by the funeral director together with an informant, usually a family member or the executor. It records personal information about the deceased: full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, occupation, and next of kin. This information should be as accurate as possible, as it forms part of the permanent legal record.
Both documents are submitted to the local vital statistics office, usually through the funeral director. Once the death is registered, death certificates can be ordered.
Death certificates are not the same as the Medical Certificate of Death. Death certificates are official copies issued by the province or territory and are required for settling the estate, notifying financial institutions, and closing accounts. Most estates will require between five and ten certified copies. The funeral home can often assist with ordering them, or applications can be made directly through the provincial vital statistics office.
Step 4: Notify immediate contacts
Within the first 24 hours, the focus for notifications should be on the people who are closest to the situation, immediate family, a primary contact, and anyone who may need to make travel arrangements.
A few practical considerations for this step:
- For people who are very close to the deceased, a phone call is generally more appropriate than a message.
- If reaching someone directly is not possible, a message asking them to call back is preferable to leaving the news in a voicemail.
- Designating one person to coordinate outreach can reduce the likelihood of important contacts receiving the news second-hand, and allows others to focus on other tasks.
Extended contacts, workplace colleagues, organizations, broader community, do not need to be notified in the first 24 hours. Those notifications belong to the days ahead.
If the deceased was receiving government benefits, such as the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, or provincial assistance programs, those notifications are important but do not need to happen on the first day. Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency can be notified in the days following the death.
Step 5: Locate key documents
During the first 24 hours, a brief search for essential documents can save significant time in the days ahead. The goal is not to organize everything immediately, but to identify where key materials are.
Documents worth locating early include:
- The will, if one exists
- Any pre-arranged funeral or burial plan
- Government-issued identification (health card, passport, birth certificate)
- The Social Insurance Number
- Life insurance policies
- Recent financial account statements or a list of institutions
- Any advance care directive or instructions for end-of-life preferences
If a will exists, the executor named in it will have authority to manage the estate. If no will is found, the process for administering the estate will vary by province. A notary or lawyer can provide guidance on next steps in either situation.
It is not necessary to open mail, access accounts, or contact financial institutions on the first day. These steps can wait.
What can wait
Many of the administrative tasks associated with a death do not need to happen within the first 24 hours. The following are important but belong to the days and weeks ahead:
- Notifying Service Canada to cancel CPP and Old Age Security benefits
- Applying for the CPP Death Benefit, which is a one-time payment made to the estate
- Contacting the Canada Revenue Agency
- Notifying banks, insurance providers, and pension administrators
- Beginning the process of probate or estate administration
- Cancelling subscriptions, memberships, and digital accounts
- Planning a memorial service or obituary
Taking on too many of these tasks in the first hours is rarely necessary and often adds to the weight of an already difficult time.
A note on provincial differences
The process of reporting and registering a death varies across Canada's provinces and territories. The core steps, confirming the death, contacting a funeral home, registering through vital statistics, apply across the country, but the specific forms, contacts, and timelines differ by jurisdiction.
In Quebec, for example, the registration process involves a Declaration of Death and an Attestation of Death, which are submitted to the Directeur de l'état civil rather than a municipal clerk's office. In Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, a medical examiner (rather than a coroner) investigates unexpected deaths. In Ontario, the Statement of Death is submitted to the local municipal clerk's office.
The funeral director in the relevant province will be familiar with local requirements and can guide the process. Provincial vital statistics offices are also a reliable source of information for jurisdiction-specific questions.
Frequently asked questions
What if the death occurred outside Canada?
Contact the Canadian embassy or consulate in the country where the death occurred. They can provide guidance on local requirements and the steps needed to repatriate the deceased. Funeral homes in Canada with experience in international transfers can also assist with logistics.
What if no will can be found?
A death without a will, or without a located will, does not prevent the first 24 hours of steps from proceeding. The funeral home and vital statistics process are not dependent on a will being present. A notary or lawyer can advise on the estate administration process once the immediate steps are complete.
Is it necessary to make all decisions about the funeral right away?
No. The initial contact with a funeral home is primarily to arrange for the care and transportation of the deceased. Decisions about the service, the type of disposition (burial or cremation), and related arrangements can be made in the following days.
What if no one was present at the time of death?
If a death is discovered and there is no one who can confirm the circumstances, call 911. Emergency responders and the appropriate authority will determine next steps. Do not move the body before authorities have attended.
Sources
This article draws on information published by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, the Province of British Columbia, the Province of Manitoba, the Canadian Medical Protective Association, and Ontario Health atHome. Requirements vary by province and territory. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consulting a notary, lawyer, or the relevant provincial authority is recommended for guidance specific to a particular situation.
