X-Message-Number: 28266
From: 
Subject: British Columbia Anti-Cryonics Law Update
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2006 21:04:52 US/Eastern

            The following notice has been posted to the website of 
the British Columbia Business Practices & Consumer Protection 
Authority (BPCPA) concerning the interpretation of British
Columbia's anti-cryonics law: Section 14 of The Cremation, 
Interment & Funeral Services Act

http://www.bpcpa.ca/Docs/2006-news-releases/060721_Industry_Notice_Cryonics.pdf

  For those who do not like reading PDF files, the notice has the 
following contents:

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July 21, 2006

THE ARRANGEMENT AND SALE OF CRYONIC SERVICES IN BC

Section 14 of The Cremation, Interment & Funeral Services Act continues 
to prohibit the sale in BC of an arrangement for the preservation or 
storage of human remains based on Cryonics and other processes with the 
expectation of resuscitation of human remains at a future time.

The section reads:

Prohibition on sales, and offers of sale, of Arrangements relating to 
cryonics and irradiation 14 A person must not offer for sale, or sell, 
an arrangement for the preservation or storage of human remains that 
is based on 

(a) cryonics,

(b) irradiation, or

(c) any other means of preservation or storage, by whatever name called,
and that is offered, or sold, on the expectation of the resuscitation of 
human remains at a future time.

This section of the Act does not prohibit funeral directors in BC from 
performing preparation and transport services related to a cryonic arrangement 

assuming that these services are in compliance with provincial health 
regulations 
(www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/reg/H/Health/4_83.htm#part4) and
human remains transfer regulations 
(www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/reg/C/298_2004.htm).

To be clear, should a consumer wish their remains to be preserved using 
cryonics, a BC funeral provider is not prohibited from performing any related 
services such as preparation and transport, as per the Cremation, 
Interment & Funeral Services Act regulations. 

If there are any questions around this issue, please contact the BPCPA 
directly at (604) 320-1667 in Vancouver or toll free in BC at 1-888-564-9963.

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I think that this is the best that cryonicists can expect from British 
Columbia bureaucrats at this time. Presumably an Alcor Transport team or a 
Suspended Animation team could conduct Standby under the authority of a
British Columbia funeral director. 

I believe that this law is only going to be changed by a challenge in 
court, but I could be wrong.

 -- Ben Best

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