A funeral home in Cape Breton is set to face a two-month suspension of its crematorium license following an investigation that confirmed a wrongful cremation in December of last year.

Forest Haven Memorial Gardens in Sydney, N.S., will see its crematorium license suspended starting April 28 as a consequence of violating the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act. The provincial registrar of embalmers and funeral directors, in a recent decision, found the business culpable for failing to ensure the proper identification of human remains. Consequently, the funeral director involved had their license revoked.

Service Nova Scotia Minister Colton LeBlanc issued a statement, expressing empathy for the affected families and emphasizing that no family should have to endure such a distressing experience.

The investigation revealed a mix-up between two bodies at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, leading to the wrong body being sent to Forest Haven Memorial Gardens. The notice of decision highlighted that the funeral director in charge on that day did not open the body bag to verify the identification of the remains.

This report by The Canadian Press was originally published on April 21, 2022.