INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES FOR DECEASED CLIENTS
On behalf of the Department of Justice, Office of the Chief Coroner would like to convey our deepest sympathy for your loss.
The Office of the Chief Coroner would like to assist you and your family members during loss of your loved ones. Therefore the Coroner’s Office put this information to assist you during this difficult time.
The Nunavut Coroner’s Service is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death to determine the cause and manner of death within the Nunavut territory, where the death occurred.
Upon completion of the investigation, the Coroner authorizes the Health care professional and/or RCMP Officers to release the body from the hospital morgue to family members. You as the immediate family member should contact Mr. Jaffar( Jake) Gebara at 222-0585 or 979-6606 for information on funeral arrangement of your loved ones.
In the event that Mr. Gebara does not respond to you within twenty- four (24) hours, please call his assistant Mr. Joe Fergus at 222-2856 for further assistance.
The family members should contact Mr. Gebara or Mr. Fergus to make an arrangement for viewing at the Hospital Morgue and to pay your respect to the loved ones. Mr. Gebara or Mr. Fergus will make these arrangements for you. If you wish to transport the remains of your loved one from Iqaluit to any other community for burial, you will have to contact Mr. Gebara or Mr. Fergus to make those arrangements for shipping as per your request.
When a Coroner deems it necessary to order an autopsy to determine the cause of death, the Coroner’s Office will cover all the expenses including the shipment of the remains before and after the autopsy to a southern jurisdiction. After the autopsy, the funeral director from Ottawa, ON will contact you the next of kin to make further arrangements for burial (ex. clothing and casket). Coroner’s Office is not responsible for the cost of the casket and clothing for the deceased. If the next of kin or other family and friends are unable to cover the costs for these items, please contact family services or income support service for assistance. One of the Funeral home staff will be in contact the next of kin directly to inform you of WHEN and HOW your love one is arriving to the community for further arrangements.
If you have any further inquiries or concerns with this process, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (867) 975- 6562, (867) 975-6318, or 1-877-778-1022.
Thanking you in anticipation
The Office of the Chief Coroner
Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory.
