The remains of Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who campaigned against apartheid, were disposed of this way, at his request, when he died late last year. The funeral industry here and in the U.S. A century later it made its way into university research labs to dispose of animal and human tissue used in research. in 1888 to break down animal bones to produce fertilizer. Meanwhile, while his is the only low-temp machine in use in the province to dispose of human remains, similar machines are gaining in popularity for pet cremation.Īlkaline hydrolysis, also known in the funeral industry as aquamation or resomation, is not a new process. The funeral director also believes the proposed legislation could close the door on any prospective court challenges should a funeral director disagree with the BAO. Charbonneau believes that could spell the end for his low-temp machine. The proposed amendment to the funeral act states that any emerging techniques to dispose of human remains, such as low-temperature alkaline hydrolysis, can’t be licensed until the health and safety of the technology has been confirmed through research.īut who will do the research remains to be seen, because the BAO said that’s not its role. The tribunal ruled the BAO had no evidence to show that the machine posed a public health risk.Ĭharbonneau is in operation once again, but the win has had a domino effect, spurring a potential change in legislation that he believes signals the fight with the BAO isn’t over. Multiple requests by the Star to speak with Smith directly were denied. The BAO “must ensure that the public is protected from the potential for harm from newer technologies, such as low-temperature alkaline hydrolysis, until they are adequately tested and proven safe,” David Brazeau, the authority’s communications manager, said in an email to the Star. The BAO, overseen by registrar and CEO Carey Smith, said it believes the effluent from the kind of alkaline hydrolysis machine that Charbonneau purchased poses a public health risk. The BAO also issued a notice that his licence would be revoked. For funeral director Trevor Charbonneau, the decision to purchase a machine that turns a deceased body into liquid and bone didn’t come easy.Ĭharbonneau was committed to offering clients at Newcastle Funeral Home what he believes is a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional flame cremation, even though the process, called alkaline hydrolysis, requires a vessel that costs $150,000 (U.S.) - a significant purchase.īut months after Charbonneau received his crematorium licence in 2017 allowing him to use this machine, the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, which oversees the province’s funeral industry, inspected his establishment, issued numerous violations - none of which had to do with the actual machine - and then suspended his licence.
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