Why Should We Preplan Our Final Goodbye?

During our lives we plan for many situations; education, having a family, vacations, weddings, and especially our retirement. However, many neglect to plan their end of life arrangements as it is a realization of our own mortality. We purchase insurance to help us in situations that may happen, such as accidents, earthquakes, fire, floods, and theft. We should also consider the pre-planning of our end of life services as it not only lets our survivors know what our wishes are, but it can also avoid financial hardship.

For helpful advice, download our Funeral and Cremation Planning Resource Kit.

Click here for The Top 5 Reasons to Preplan Your Funeral

• A funeral service provides a special place for family and friends to pay tribute to someone they love. It is the final act of care for loved ones, as well as an important first step in facing the reality of loss.
• You can have peace of mind by making your own arrangements now with Connelly-McKinley, instead of leaving your loved ones to arrange things alone. Nothing can take away the pain of their loss, but planning ahead will ease their burden. Your family will be relieved knowing you have expressed your wishes ahead of time.
• Connelly-McKinley’s Advance Funeral Planning options will eliminate the uncertainty of funeral expenses and protect your family from rising costs. By planning now, you will avoid future inflation and enjoy the benefits of today’s lower prices.
• Pre-planning can be as detailed or as simple as you choose.  We will create a record of personal information that is required for Vital Statistics. This consists of your full name, address, spouse’s name, occupation, birth date, birthplace, social insurance number, healthcare card number, parent’s names, and their birthplaces, and your executor’s name and contact information. Prearranging ensures that you document your wishes. You can relieve some of the burden for someone making decisions who may not be aware of your wishes.

We will discuss and document whether you would like to be buried, cremated, entombed, or forwarded to another city or country.  We will also provide choices around how you wish to be honoured such as a Traditional Funeral, Celebration of Life, Memorial Service, Graveside Service, or a Cremation without Ceremony.

You may also select the products that would personalize your service; a burial or cremation casket, urn, casket or urn vault, music, catering menus, flowers or venue.

No two services are alike, and individuals can choose to showcase videos, photographs, music, special readings or any other involved elements with family and friends.

You may wish to pre-pay for your services.

• If the plan is paid in full or via monthly payments our services and products will be guaranteed at today’s cost. For example, if the death occurs twenty years later additional money will not be owed at the time of death. All funds are protected and not held with the funeral home so that if anything ever occurred whereby it would not be your wish to keep your arrangements here, you move or the company is sold, you will have options as to where you would like to transfer your arrangements. This is a simple process.
•  You can choose from a variety of payment options, including simple monthly payments or fully funded plans.
• You may also make all arrangements in advance and wait to pay when the death occurs.

Why Choose Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home for Your Services?

• Over a century of expertise: The Connelly family and staff have been serving Edmonton and surrounding communities since 1908, providing compassionate care and unparalleled service.
• Family owned and operated: Unlike other funeral homes in Edmonton, we proudly remain independent and locally owned. We are accountable to you, not to stockholders.
• Superior standards: Our reputation is why we have been Edmonton’s leader for over 100 years. We are committed to excellence. What is important to you, is critical to us. See what our Families say
• Conveniently located: We offer three convenient locations, Downtown Edmonton, Edmonton South, and St. Albert. Our beautiful facilities were designed to provide a sense of warmth, peace, serenity, and closure.
• We will come to you: If you prefer to make arrangements in your own home we will come to your residence at a time convenient for you.
• Personalized services: Our caring professionals will listen, suggest, organize, and carry out ceremonies that are comforting and full of meaning.
• Modern & inviting facilities: Our locations and reception centers have been the setting for countless gatherings where friends and family have laughed, cried, reminisced, and started the healing process together.
• Customized catering and bar service: We offer customized catering services for any size group, from simple deli delights to hot hors d’oeuvres. If you wish to have bar service or a special toast, we can accommodate for that.
• Exceptional staff: We have carefully chosen each member of our staff to ensure that our families receive the most professional, compassionate care.
• Serving all faiths and cultures: We care for families of all faiths, traditions, and beliefs. All of our staff are fully trained in all types of services.

One of our Family Service Consultants will be happy to meet with you in your home or at one of our three Edmonton and area locations. There, you can review the options and, when you are ready, begin making your arrangements. We assure you that you will never experience any feeling of obligation or pressure from our people.

To speak to one of our Family Service Consultants, please call 780-590-0626 

At Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home, we understand that you want the final goodbye service of your loved one to be a comforting, intimate, and memorable experience; we also understand that you want the same thing for your own service.

This is what makes pre-planning such a positive step.

By pre-planning your life celebration, you can ensure that the service is exactly as you would like it to be and that your friends and family members are able to honour your life without having to worry with last-minute planning or orchestrating details you left unspecified.

How the Process Works

Once you have reviewed the guide suitable to your choice (burial or cremation) and submitted it to us, our compassionate and experienced Family Service Consultants are prepared to offer helpful, empathetic assistance as you seek to plan your service.

This is not a complicated or high-pressure undertaking—just a time of reflection, in which you can make sure that all of your wishes are recorded, your plans mapped out.

Our staff will guide you through the process, and give you one of our Renown Personal Planning Organizers so your family has a clear direction to follow. You can then safely store this with all of your other important documents. Your consultant will go through all of the options and considerations as well as a personalized plan for prepayment if that is your choice.

The pre-planning process empowers you and your family and offers a large degree of comfort and assurance. To learn more about the process, please contact Family Service at your earliest convenience. 780-590-0626

Starting the Process

• The pre-planning experience is by no means a morbid one: On the contrary, it is a positive and even comforting step you can take to make sure that all arrangements are made for your service, that those who survive you will be able to celebrate your life knowing full well that the service is exactly as you wished it would be. Pre-planning is an act of service, as well: It minimizes the chance that any planning difficulties, obstacles, or uncertainties will arrive to distract your family members during their season of bereavement and reflection.

3 Convenient Locations to Serve You

Advanced Planning Information Request Form