X-Message-Number: 27918 From: Subject: British Columbia Anti-Cryonics Law Update Date: Sun, 7 May 2006 04:22:11 US/Eastern I have spoken on the phone to three of the British Columbia officials whom I have been requesting people in the cryonics community to lobby. All three of them seem like very reasonable people and nice people who want to be helpful. Janet Ricciatti, Executive Director of the BC Funeral Services Association told me that she had heard more about the anti-cryonics law in the last two weeks than she had heard about it in the 16 years she has been with the Funeral Services Association. She said that she has only heard from cryonics advocates outside of British Columbia, not from British Columbia consumers or funeral industry representatives. She agreed that she might publish a statement in the BC funeral directors' newsletter informing them that they would not be legally endangered by assisting with a cryonics case for a cryonics organization outside of BC. She suggested that I e-mail her a proposed statement. Tom Aquiline is both Deputy Director of Industry Relations for the BC Business Practices & Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) and Chairman of the BPCPA Cemetery, Interment & Funeral Services Advisory Group. He told me that the next meeting of the Advisory Group will be July 6th and that the anti-cryonics law and the legal liabilities of BC funeral directors is scheduled to be discussed at that meeting. He told me that the impetus for changing legislation comes from consumer groups and industry groups. He said that he would be happy to discuss the results of the July 6th meeting with me, and he even requested my phone number and e-mail address. I spoke to Betty Down, who is a Senior Policy & Legislation Analyst for the Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General. She seemed friendly and helpful, but mainly was telling me that her role in changing legislation is minimal. She said that the impetus for changing legislation would mainly come from industry Advisory Groups, and that she passes recommendations on to the Solicitor General. She said that appeals can also be made directly to the Solicitor General. I was unable to reach Tayt Winnitoy, who I have spoken to previously. I phoned him numerous times, but always got his answering machine. He has not returned any of my calls. I am now suspecting that he simply did not answer the phone when he say "Cryonics Institute" on caller display, but I am not concerned enough to try calling from another number. I think that too much attention may have been focused on Tayt at the expense of reaching others who are influential with the government or with BC funeral directors. I still think that pro-cryonics people living in British Columbia would do well to contact Janet Ricciutti, Tom Aquiline, Tayt Winnitoy and even Betty Down to express their concern over difficulties getting co-operation from BC funeral directors -- or at least expressing displeasure at the fact that their beloved province has an anti-cryonics law. I think that cryonicists living outside of British Columbia would be most effective by contacting the Solicitor General, giving reasons why the anti-cryonics law should be eliminated. Communications should be reasonable and well-informed rather than hostile and self-righteous, in my opinion. I do not have an e-mail address for the Solicitor General -- only mailing address, phone and fax numbers. I will forward an e-mail address if I discover one. It would probably be best if cryonicists compose their own letters. But if your imagination fails you then send the form letter I have created: ********************************************************** Honorable John Les Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General PO Box 9053 STN PROV GOVT Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9E2 In Bill 3 (2004), the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act, Section 14 states that a person must not offer for sale or sell an arrangement based on cryonics that is offered on the expectation of resuscitation of human remains at a future time. This section is a rewrite of a similarly worded law that was created in 1990 by a single bureaucrat (David Oliver) with the acquiescence of his committee. There was no consultation with cryonicists or scientists familiar with cryonics technology. No other province or state in North America has a similar piece of legislation. When the Alberta government was considering legislation similar to that in BC they agreed to consult with the Cryonics Society of Canada before making a decision. In the 16 years that BC's anti-cryonics law has been in effect no one in the government of British Columbia has ever consulted with anyone knowledgeable about cryonics or with expertise in the science behind cryonics. Decades ago cessation of heartbeat was equated with the finality of any potential for life. With defibrillators this is no longer necessarily true. Cryonicists believe that future technologies will cure diseases that are currently fatal and allow for regeneration of organs. Molecular repair technologies may be able to resuscitate, rejuvenate and/or reconstruct body tissues. Prospects are best for the best preserved human remains, which requires rapid cool-down and cardio-pulmonary support soon after clinical death. I believe that British Columbia's anti-cryonics law is an embarrassment to the Province and an impediment to human progress. I strongly urge that this offensive piece of legislation be removed. Respectfully yours, ********************************************************** Below is the contact information I have for influential persons in the British Columbia government or with the BC funeral directors. -- Ben Best ********************************************************** Janet Ricciutti, Executive Director Funeral Service Association of British Columbia Suite 211 2187 Oak Bay Ave. Victoria, BC. Canada V8R 1G1 Telephone: (250) 592-3213 Toll Free (in Canada): (800) 665-3899 Fax: (250) 592-4362 E-mail: [info(at)bcfunerals.com] ********************************************************** Tom R. Aquiline, Deputy Director of Industry Relations Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority Telephone: (604) 296-2855 E-mail: [tom.aquiline(at)bcpcpa.ca] ********************************************************** Honorable John Les Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General PO Box 9053 STN PROV GOVT Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9E2 Phone: (250) 356-7717 Fax: (250) 356-8270 ********************************************************** Tayt Winnitoy, Director of Operations Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority P. O. Box 9244 Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8W 9J2 Telephone: (604) 320-1667 (9 for directory then 8298 for TAYT) Fax: (250) 920-7181 Toll Free (in Canada): (888) 564-9963 E-mail: [tayt.winnitoy(at)bpcpa.ca] ********************************************************** Ms. Betty Down PO BOX 9283 STN PROV GOVT Victoria BC V8W 9J7 CANADA Tel: (250) 387-3398 FAX: (250) 387-2631 E-mail: [Betty.Down(at)gov.bc.ca] Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=27918