It’s not easy dying green

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This article was published 21/01/2023 (1004 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Death is not an easy topic for many of us, and discussions about funerals aren’t the most popular subject, either. There is no universal manual to instruct on how to prepare for death, though maybe there should be. In the cycle of life, it makes good sense to plan ahead and make our wishes known to ensure that the way we leave this world is in line with our values.

When Quinn Hunter was helping her mother with her funeral pre-planning, she discovered that the industry did not offer anything that resonated with their values and fit their budget. That experience led Quinn on a new career path.

Passionate about facilitating conversations about death, educating people about their options and supporting them in creating end-of-life experiences that are sacred, meaningful and authentic, Hunter is now the owner and licensed funeral director of Hunter Funerals.

Opened in May of 2021, and located at the Unitarian Universalist Church (603 Wellington Cres.), Hunter Funerals is a new approach to death care centred in autonomy and authenticity, and in the belief that sustainability should be a primary consideration in all aspects of life, including death. Hunter Funerals offers holistic planning, provides eco-conscious and family-centred care and many options not readily available anywhere else.

“Our culture in general is death-phobic,” said Hunter, a single mother and CPA who grew up in Winnipeg. “Everyone has something that they want to ask about. Education is so important; everyone has different kinds of fear. It is about all those little decisions that will add up as a collective. That’s why it was important to bring to the community: this is a cultural shift. Funerals is a second career for me. I have really been honoured to have this opportunity to do something more meaningful for the community.

“We used to have faith communities who supported us in this time. A lot of us don’t have that anymore,” said Hunter, who is actively involved in reclaiming death care and bringing it back to more simple and traditional ways to make the transition from life to death easier for families. “The funeral industry is very respectful but doesn’t necessarily hold space for a lot of the things that people need during this time.”

Most of us are familiar with the casket burial or cremation options but green or natural burial is not as widely known.

Hunter Funerals offers a natural burial package for those with a preference to return the body to the earth with minimal environmental impact. The main guiding principles are to forgo embalming, to use only burial containers made of biodegradable materials, and for the land to be managed as natural habitat.

Typically this involves the body wrapped in a shroud and placed directly into the earth, or in a biodegradable casket.

“Some options for a shroud are plain organic cotton, beautiful luxurious silk, or a cotton quilt with sentimental value,” said Hunter. “The Village Casketmaker here in Winnipeg makes beautiful handmade wooden caskets with these principles in mind. I would love to find a local producer for a woven willow casket.”

Although certified green cemeteries don’t yet exist in Manitoba, the locally owned and operated Hunter Funerals can help to find a final resting place that has a positive impact on the natural world. By forgoing invasive embalming procedures and selecting a fully biodegradable burial container, the most important factors of a green burial are achieved. The municipal cemeteries in Winnipeg offer natural burial areas, as do several rural private cemeteries in the surrounding areas. Purchasing a plot is a way to secure that area as a green space, and protecting local habitats from urban development.

‘There is a lot of innovation happening on the side of green,” said Hunter. “Human composting, that’s new, and approved in four states. Another environmental option that’s growing in awareness is aquamation (water cremation). These green initiatives aren’t available in Manitoba. I would love to have them available here, too.

“I feel like a lot of green solutions are best taken from our traditions and past. Green burial really encourages the participation of the community and it helps get in touch with the sacredness of that tradition without needing to be overly spiritual; bringing in environmental aspects somehow ignites that connectedness and spiritual aspect of what’s happening.”

Hunter Funerals is on the cusp of incorporating a green burial co-op and active in a growing movement to provide Manitobans access to green burial. As a community-owned initiative, the co-op will serve as a source of education and resources for the community regarding sustainable death-care practices.

“Our goal is to own some green burial sites, but also, plan to be a network. We would support existing cemeteries in initiating a green section and further the overall accessibility,” said Hunter, adding that the co-op is on the search for land to be used for green burial, either by direct sale to the co-op or through private partnership.

“Co-op is a way to support this movement. There’s a need in the community, to bring awareness, to work together to have this available because it’s not, right now. There is lots of motivation and passion. We are really focused on education and helping people be informed consumers, making sure they know what their options are. My motivation is social justice,” Hunter said, noting that the industry doesn’t always address the needs of a family.

Hunter gives monthly talks for Dying with Dignity, with different topics every month. She offers some free events to keep the conversation activated, and shares information through educational seminars for faith communities, environmental organizations, community groups, condo associations, corporate lunch-and-learns and anyone else who may be interested in hosting an event. She speaks on a wide variety of death-related topics, tailoring the presentation to the area of interest and also offers a 30-minute free consultation.

Find Hunter Funerals on Facebook and Instagram. There’s a mailing list to keep informed about upcoming events. Visit: https://www.hunterfunerals.ca.