To the citizens of the Annapolis Valley

This letter is in response to rumours and innuendos surrounding the operation of our Funeral Services in Nova Scotia and the rumours spreading to our valued customers and others. The rumours appear to originate from companies or individuals who are attempting to create uncertainty and anxiety among the families who use our services and or who have prearranged funerals with us. The rumors are self-serving and are absolutely untrue. They are being fabricated and spread in an effort to bring the name of our company and the service we offer into disrepute and divert people from using our services.

While it is true that we have suffered a difficult year in 2011, we are certainly not closing our doors or discontinuing our service in Nova Scotia. Although this past year has been a difficult year we have never been distracted from serving our families that require our services in a time of need. We have always and will continue to take care of the needs of the families we serve in a professional, dignified, caring manner.

The disaster that struck many homes and businesses in December of 2010 impacted four of our locations. We suffered with two severely damaged buildings, one with minor damage, and, as most are aware, the total destruction of the Kentville building. The disaster alone was and is a terrible experience for us all. The loss of the building in Kentville was devastating and certainly a huge loss of a landmark to Kentville and the H C Lindsay business. The subsequent response of the insurance industry with regards to the aforementioned damages has placed further hardship and stress on our business and on the owners personally. As a result of the inadequate response of the insurance industry we have had to turn to the courts to pursue a resolution. It is our intention to re-establish our funeral home in Kentville.

The stresses related to the disaster and the associated financial issues have been very difficult for our team of employees, some who dedicate their lives to serving the families we serve.

Those members of our team who, although excellent in their employment skills, have had trouble adjusting to change and moving in the direction that we have undertaken. We maintain, as we always have, a fundamental belief that we are in a position that requires and demands compassion, empathy, and understanding. We have and will continue to always present a professionally conducted funeral. We will continue to embrace families and show them that we really do care about them. Those within our team that do not share our belief have made the choice to move on. We understand and respect their decision and wish them all the best in whatever they do.

While we have experienced a terrible loss within our business we are constantly reminded  that others are going through and experiencing much greater losses in their lives.  As funeral directors and people who care about others we counsel families that while they will never get over their loss they will over time learn to live with their loss and adapt to being without their loved one.

We will learn from our own lessons and while we will never forget what we have gone through, we will move on and adapt to the situation and we will learn to survive with the changes as we go forward.

Recent advertising has implied that the Berwick families who use our services have not been getting the funeral services they deserve. While I whole heartedly disagree with this statement, recent changes allow for us to present to the families we serve a professionally conducted service with added personal attention, along with empathy, compassion and understanding.

The implication that our Berwick location is not staffed is absolutely untrue. We are fully staffed with a funeral director, an apprentice funeral director or an office professional in the funeral home present Monday to Friday 9-5 and available by appointment most evenings and weekends.

Also in recent advertising, it has been implied that people who have prearrangements may want to consider moving them. Funds received by us are fully secured in a trust account and are not used in the day to day operation of the Funeral Home and are 100% safe and secure and afforded protection by the Government. Movement of the funds is absolutely unnecessary. This advertisement is a self-serving attempt to have people move their arrangements.

Our funeral home has conducted many funerals, many of which have been prearranged. We are not closing our doors and not moving from the communities that we serve. All of the prearranged funerals will continue to be honored as outlined in the contracts and as required by law as they have been for many years. In the history of our business there has never been a contract that has not been honored.

Our business is one that, despite disasters and futile attempts by some to defame or cast aspersions upon us, is growing. We offer a unique combination of a professional and dignified service, understanding, compassion and empathy while keeping our prices set to a reasonable level that no one in Nova Scotia has matched. Our web site is designed to be an open book about us, our services and prices. We are the only funeral home that publishes all of our prices. While our peers around the Province dislike us disclosing our prices we feel that you have the right to know who we are, what we offer and what it will cost. We refuse to be like others who mislead families by publishing starting prices that are only a portion of what they actually charge.

We own and operate the only crematorium in the Annapolis Valley. We will be expanding our Berwick location soon to include updated facilities that will be fully wheelchair  accessible. As well in Berwick we will be opening a brand new monument office and indoor display room. In New Ross we have moved into a new larger location and have made several upgrades including a wheel chair accessible entrance and will be moving ahead with building updates in the spring In Wolfville we are continuing to expand and update the facilities. We have development plans that are exploring expansion to the Windsor and Digby areas.

We realize that this letter is somewhat lengthy; however, in maintaining our philosophy of our open book policy we wanted to address the concerns of our citizens and provide them with accurate information about our business.

We welcome any questions and would gladly meet with anyone who has concerns. We are also available anytime to assist families with prearrangements regardless if it is a new prearrangement or a review your current arrangements. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions. The funeral home and our business has been here for many years, we are here now and we will be here for a long time to come.

Paul and Dena Dawson