X-Message-Number: 3040 From: Darran Edmundson <> Subject: CRYONICS B.C. anti-cryonics law and the war of 1812 Date: Tue, 30 Aug 1994 09:03:52 -0700 (PDT) Since it seems to be all the rage, here is a copy of the letter that I mailed to the B.C. government. My letter might carry a little more weight, coming from an actual resident of British Columbia. I also suggest that people eliminate the threatening tone apparent in some of the recent letters we've seen on the CryoNet - the last time you got so antagonistic, we had to burn your capitol. Cheers, Darran "peace, order and good government" Edmundson ----------------- Mr. Paul Snikars, Registrar Cemeteries and Funeral Services Branch, Ministry of Housing, Recreation and Consumer Services, 1019 Wharf Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4 August 14, 1994. Dear Mr. Snikars: I'm writing this letter to voice my opposition to the anti-cryonics provision in Part 5, Section 57, "Arrangements Forbidden" of the B.C. Cemetery and Funeral Services Act. My wife Kelley and I moved to British Columbia in 1990 so that I could pursue graduate studies at S.F.U. I am now within six months of completing my Ph.D. in theoretical physics while Kelley is a full-time recreation therapist at Surrey Memorial Hospital. We fell in love with B.C. during a cycling trip from Vancouver to Moose Jaw, Sask. in the summer of 1989 and knew that we had found our favourite part of Canada - the place in which we eventually wanted to settle. Why I am telling you this? Because the anti-cryonics provision mentioned above is causing me to seriously question whether or not I will remain in British Columbia after my graduation. I became interested in the concept of cryonics several years ago and have since done a considerable amount of reading on the subject. As a scientist, I am convinced that given the current rate of technological progress, there is a significant chance that cryonically suspended patients will be revived in the not too distant future. In short, my wife and I are planning to sign up with a cryonic suspension company, funded by life insurance, in the near future. I cannot fathom why the government of British Columbia would make the sale of this service illegal. Can you explain the reasoning behind this measure? Can you also tell me what professional groups/societies/organizations were consulted during its drafting? Were any cryonics advocates able to contribute to the discussion? And finally (and most importantly), can you tell me if there is a chance that this measure will be rescinded in the near future? - I have a serious residency decision to make. If you have any questions concerning my letter, please feel free to contact me by phone at 299-8053 (home) or 291-5874 (work), or by electronic mail at I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Darran E. Edmundson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=3040