X-Message-Number: 27945
From:
Subject: British Columbia Anti-Cryonics Law Update
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 19:02:00 US/Eastern
Today when I spoke on the phone with Janet Ricciatti
(Executive Director of the BC Funeral Services Association)
she told me that the issue of funeral director preparation
and shipment of cryonics patients had been discussed at
yesterday's (Tuesday, May 16) meeting of the Board of
the BC Funeral Services Association. She advised me that
the Association would be willing to publish a letter in
the BC Funeral Services Association newsletter
which assured funeral directors that it is not illegal
for them to prepare and ship a cryonics patient out
of British Columbia. She said that it would be best if
such a letter originated from Tayt Winnitoy, Director of
Operations of the Business Practices and Consumer
Protection Authority (BPCPA) of BC.
I phoned Tayt Winnitoy who informed me that
although he has issued cryonics "comfort letters"
to individuals (including to Cryonics Institute
Facilities Manager Andy Zawacki), that it would not be
appropriate for him to issue such a letter to the
BC Funeral Services Association. Mr. Winnitoy said
that it would be most appropriate for such a
directive to be issued by the BPCPA Cemetery,
Interment & Funeral Services Advisory Group,
which has its next meeting on July 6th. Cryonics
is already scheduled to be on the agenda.
I do think it is useful for cryonicists --
particularly those living in British Columbia -- to
continue to write, phone & FAX British Columbia
officials requesting that funeral directors be
informed of their legal immunity for participation
in a cryonics case -- especially in advance of the
July 6th Advisory Group meeting. However, I think
that the emphasis of cryonicists should be on
requests that the anti-cryonics law --
Bill 3 (2005) Section 14 -- be repealed.
Although the Solicitor General is the most
influential individual in this regard, the
Solicitor General responds to requests from the
Advisory Group, the Funeral Services Association
and consumer groups. A letter along the lines
of the letter I composed -- which I suggested
be sent to the Solicitor General -- could also
be sent to members of the Advisory Group and
the Funeral Association.
Members of the BPCPA Interment & Funeral
Services Advisory Group, are listed on the following
website PDF file:
http://www.bpcpa.ca/Docs/CIFSA_advisory_group.pdf
Below is my latest version of my suggested letter
requesting that Bill 3 (2004) Section 14 be
repealed (for those who don't want to compose their
own) along with contact information for the various
officials.
-- Ben Best
**********************************************************
Honorable John Les
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
PO Box 9053
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC
Canada V8W 9E2
In Bill 3 (2004), the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services
Act, Section 14 states that a person must not offer for sale or
sell an arrangement based on cryonics that is offered on the
expectation of resuscitation of human remains at a future time.
This section is a rewrite of a similarly worded law that was
created in 1990 by a single bureaucrat (David Oliver) with the
acquiescence of his committee. There was no consultation with
cryonicists or scientists familiar with cryonics technology.
No other province or state in North America has a similar
piece of legislation. When the Alberta government was
considering legislation similar to that in BC they agreed to consult
with the Cryonics Society of Canada before making a decision. In
the 16 years that BC's anti-cryonics law has been in effect no one
in the government of British Columbia has ever consulted with anyone
knowledgeable about cryonics or with expertise in the science
behind cryonics.
Decades ago cessation of heartbeat was equated with the
finality of any potential for life. With defibrillators this is
no longer necessarily true. Cryonicists believe that future
technologies will cure diseases that are currently fatal and
allow for regeneration of organs. Molecular repair technologies
may be able to resuscitate, rejuvenate and/or reconstruct
body tissues. Vitrification (anti-freeze) solutions currently used
in cryonics have allowed rabbit kidneys to be cooled to
-135oC without ice formation and transplanted into rabbits
after rewarming, with full functionality. Prospects are best
for the best preserved human remains, which requires rapid
cool-down and cardio-pulmonary support soon after clinical death.
I believe that British Columbia citizens should be treated as
mature adults by their government, capable of making their own
decisions on whether to buy or sell an unproven procedure that is
dependent upon technologies that may or may not materialize in
the future. I strongly request that Bill 4 (2004) Section 14 be
removed from British Columbia legislation.
Respectfully yours,
**********************************************************
Tom R. Aquiline, Chairman
BPCPA Cemetery, Interment & Funeral Services Advisory Group
Telephone: (604) 296-2855
E-mail: [tom.aquiline(at)bcpcpa.ca]
http://www.bpcpa.ca/
**********************************************************
Ellen Leslie, Executive Director
Memorial Society of BC
#212 -- 1847 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6J 1Y6
E-mail:
Tel (604) 733-7705
FAX (604) 733-7730
Toll Free (Canada) 1-888-816-5902
http://www.memorialsocietybc.org/
**********************************************************
Janet Ricciutti, Executive Director
Funeral Service Association of British Columbia
Suite 211
2187 Oak Bay Ave.
Victoria, BC.
Canada V8R 1G1
Telephone: (250) 592-3213
Toll Free (in Canada): (800) 665-3899
Fax: (250) 592-4362
E-mail: [info(at)bcfunerals.com]
http://www.bcfunerals.com/
**********************************************************
Tayt Winnitoy, Director of Operations
Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority
P. O. Box 9244
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8W 9J2
Telephone: (604) 320-1667 (9 for directory then 8298 for TAYT)
Fax: (250) 920-7181
Toll Free (in Canada): (888) 564-9963
E-mail: [tayt.winnitoy(at)bpcpa.ca]
http://www.bpcpa.ca/
**********************************************************
Kay Johnson, Director, Griefworks BC
4500 Oak St. Rm E405
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6H 3N1
E-mail:
BC Toll free number 1-877-234-3322
http://www.griefworksbc.com/
**********************************************************
Ms. Betty Down
PO BOX 9283
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria BC
V8W 9J7 CANADA
Tel: (250) 387-3398
FAX: (250) 387-2631
E-mail: [Betty.Down(at)gov.bc.ca]
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