Reporters from the national newspaper have been investigating and writing about a wide range of subjects relating to death – everything from mortality rates to how online shopping has affected the funeral industry.
Robert Fulford writes about changing attitudes to death: “There was a time when most politicians found euthanasia far too controversial even to mention. But recent decades have eliminated many once-banned topics and this one has finally made its way to the surface. It appears that generations of free speech and anxious argument have actually led to improvements in certain crucial aspects of life, including even, notably, death.”
As well as euthanasia, there are articles on cryonics, Death Cafes and how to say ‘goodbye’ to your pets. There are suggestions from prominent Canadians on the ideal way to die, and an explanation of what the different world religions say happens to you after death.
There are contributions from sports and arts writers, as well as a photo gallery, with contributions from hospices, funeral homes, cemeteries and the Vancouver Police Museum – formerly a functioning autopsy facility.
There is practical advice on inheritance planning and leaving a legacy, and on how to write a will and plan a funeral, as well as stories on more unusual resting places for your remains – such as deep space, the ocean floor, or under the skin of a loved-one, in the form of a tattoo.
The National Post is a subscription magazine, but non-subscribers are able to access five articles a month for free. The special issue – How we die now – can be accessed here.
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