‘Dignity in every transfer’

Doug Hahn was still a child growing up in Saskatchewan when he first thought about pursuing a career in the mortuary industry.

He doesn’t recall exactly how old he was — maybe eight, maybe 12 — but it occurred to him at his maternal grandmother’s funeral.

Hahn remembers the funeral director pushing the big wooden casket down the aisle of a United church in Saskatoon, steering it to the front and opening it so the family could pay their last respects.

At that moment, Hahn thought to himself: “Maybe this is what I should do.”

Now 60, Hahn has four decades of experience in the mortuary industry.

He believes everyone has a calling. His calling, he says, is to work with the deceased and the people who are mourning them.

“I’m meant to do this and that’s why I’ve done it for so many years,” he says.

Hahn is the founder and CEO of Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services.

Headquartered in an industrial park on Arlington Street, the Winnipeg company transfers decedents for funeral homes, medical examiners, law enforcement agencies, health-care facilities and organ donor programs.

Compassion is key as Hahn and his employees go about their work. “Dignity in every transfer. Respect every moment” is written on a white board in the company’s headquarters.

“You never want to lose sight of that,” Hahn says. “Because if you lose sight of that, it’s going to become just a job. And if it’s just a job (to you), I don’t want you working for me.

“I want you to be able to walk into somebody’s home or walk into a nursing home or walk into any place (and) remember the person was somebody’s loved one,” he says. “We’re going to treat them like it’s our own family.”

“We’re going to treat them like it’s our own family.”

Hahn started working at funeral homes when he moved to Winnipeg in his early 20s. Later, he started an apprenticeship program to become a licensed funeral director.

He left the apprenticeship when he was offered a job as an autopsy assistant at St. Boniface Hospital — a six-month term position that eventually led to a full-time role he kept for more than 20 years.

Hahn started Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services in 1999, while still working as an autopsy assistant. He left the hospital when his business grew to a point where maintaining both jobs was no longer feasible.

Today, Hahn has 11 full- and three part-time employees who operate a fleet of eight late-model vans.

Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services responds within minutes of receiving a call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Employees usually arrive in fewer than 45 minutes within city limits, Hahn says. They also travel throughout Canada and the United States to facilitate long-distance transfers.

The company’s headquarters includes a wash bay and detailing area for the vehicles, and there is an examination room on site for external examinations by law enforcement, government agencies or funeral directors.

The company also offers biohazard cleaning for crime and trauma scenes, hoarders and other sites requiring specialized cleaning services.

Hahn’s background has provided him with an understanding of the care required in sensitive environments — an understanding he says his employees also possess.

When Hahn advertises for a position at Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services, he gets 300 applicants. Only about 10 per cent are suitable for the job, he says.

“I can really tell if somebody is meant for this job in the first few minutes of sitting down with them.”

“I can really tell if somebody is meant for this job in the first few minutes of sitting down with them.”

Maturity and an understanding of what it means to support families during some of their most difficult moments is key. When staff show up, they don’t get the stretcher out of the van until they can tell the family is ready. Often, they sit and talk with family members to make a connection and ensure they’re comfortable before the transfer.

“My staff are amazing,” Hahn says. “That’s why I feel we’ve been so successful.”

Peter Palaschuk joined the company a year ago. The 63-year-old was looking for something to keep him busy in retirement after he sold his aquaculture business.

“Probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done is doing this,” Palaschuk says. “You’re caring for people that are going through the most traumatic times of their lives and you’re helping them.”

Alesha Dyck wasn’t sure she would be able to handle the work when Hahn hired her four years ago, but now she says she can’t imagine working anywhere else.

“I feel like I found a home here,” says Dyck, 34. “It’s not for everybody, but it’s for me.”

Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services has been quietly serving the community for decades and most people don’t know it exists, says Kevin Sweryd, president of the Manitoba Funeral Service Association.

“(Hahn) does certainly have a very hard job and I think all of the funeral homes in Winnipeg that use him would feel his loss if he was gone,” Sweryd says.

Sweryd is the funeral director at Bardal Funeral Home and Crematorium, which uses Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services.

“It’s not about the money. I really enjoy helping people.”

“Because he was a funeral director, he knows exactly what we need and serves all funeral homes with that kind of knowledge of what families need,” Sweryd says.

Hahn is the first to admit the work Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services does is demanding. He exercises to relieve stress, often waking up at 2:30 a.m. so that he can train for two hours before heading to the office.

He’s competed in Ironman and triathlon events around the world, most recently in Doha, Qatar, last month. He coaches Ironman athletes and is planning a 38-kilometre swim across Lake Winnipeg in July to raise funds for a yet-to-be-determined cause.

When Hahn retires, he hopes to sell Winnipeg Funeral Transfer Services to his employees. He plans to keep working for another 10 or 15 years though, he says.

“It’s not about the money. I really enjoy helping people.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca