Funeral funding cuts would have robbed daughter of chance to say goodbye to father, says Saskatoon woman

A Saskatoon woman says upcoming provincial cuts to funeral services would have meant her adopted daughter would never have been able to say goodbye to her birth father.

Starting in July, the Ministry of Social Services announced it will no longer be paying for funeral services for people on social assistance, and will now only pay for a simple burial. The change is estimated to save the province roughly $1 million per year. 

Larissa Pawluck said the policy change would have had serious consequences on her family.

"It was so important for (my daughter) to have that experience, to say goodbye," Pawluck told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning. "As she grows older, that's going to be an important thing for her."

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Last year, Pawluck's adopted daughter's birth father died suddenly after being sporadically homeless for years. She said the simple ceremony was paid for by the province and was very moving.

"He had affected people wherever he went, and had such a positive impact on people's lives," she said. "It was nice to have the opportunity to hear those stories and to see all the people who were touched by him."

It's a tradition that spans all cultures.- Larissa Pawluck

Pawluck said she worries the family wouldn't have found out about the death under the current system. She said the only reason she found out was after she was informed by the funeral director.

"I think he would have been buried and there would have been the funeral home staff there, and that would have been it," she said. "And that would have been the end of it, as opposed to what we were able to share."

Earlier this month, Social Services Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor said it was a tough decision to make. A group made up of Social Services officials and funeral home operators will be working together over the coming weeks regarding the funeral services benefit. 

Pawluck said the savings associated with the cut doesn't make up for the loss.

"It's a tradition that spans all cultures," she said. "For that to be taken away, it's a small thing, but it's an important thing."